Photos by Eric Hasman, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57 Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena 2616 N Pleasant View Rd Middleton, WI 53562 Madison Capitols website Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 2,600 Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin The Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena is in Middleton, WI approximately 15 minutes northwest from downtown Madison, WI. The Madison Capitols have been in existence since 1984. The Capitols have been a member of the United States Hockey League (USHL) since 1994. In 1994 new ownership, took over (Ryan Suter, defenseman for the Minnesota Wild and Tom Sagissor, a former Wisconsin Badger) as part of the ownership group. The team relocated from the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI to Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena starting the 2017–18 season. Reasons cited for the move included a decrease in available dates for hockey at the Alliant Energy Center. The team has not been very successful on the ice making the playoffs two times in their USHL existence. Since joining the USHL there has been eight players who have been drafted by NHL teams. Food & Beverage 2 The food selection is slim here. They have the classic hot dogs for $4.50, a Sondel Dog for $5.50 and a brat for $5. Of course, there are Nachos ($5) and Nachos Supreme ($6). Slices of Pizza are available for $6. A "large" ( 22 oz) fountain soda will set you back $3 and a16 oz costs $2 and Gatorade is $4. Bottle water, ice tea or chocolate milk (interesting choice) is $3. The arena has two interesting items, a cup / bowl of Mac & Cheese for $5 or $6 and $3 beef stick Wisconsin. I did not see a full bar service however a 16 oz domestic beer can craft brews like Spotted Cow (a Wisconsin favorite) and Fantasy Factory are $6. Small bottles of wine, White Claw or Twisted tea cost $6. If coffee is your thing, they have you covered here there since they have Espresso (hot or cold) from $3.50 to $5.50. Iced coffee or Iced Chai Tea range from $4 to $5.50, and Frappuccino from $4.25 to $5.75. In addition, there is Acai, Dragon Fruit that costs $4 to $5. The workers are friendly and provide a good service and are very friendly. I would suggest that you wait until the game starts before you get in line. Atmosphere 2 The facility consists of two hockey rinks separated by the main lobby that is full of commerce from the local high school or club players and the fans from the Capitol game intermingling with one another. Speaking of the lobby, it’s small and cramped. There are two (2) box office windows and a food / beverage stand. The arena features a low-level ceiling, seats on both sides of the ice (the south side has many more seats than the north), and suite seating up above the north side that requires a separate entrance from the main lobby. The seven (7) suites provide a very nice view of the arena and also include food service. On one end of the arena there is a 2,000 square foot beer garden, the Eagles Nest. A video board is located on the opposite end of the Eagles Nest which provides some entertainment during stops in play and at intermission that includes fan interactions, player stats, and pregame videos. An old-time scoreboard which only shows the score, period and penalty minutes/player number hangs over center ice. The Capitols have not been very successful on the ice as there is only one banner honoring the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Champions. D.C. Eagle, an Eagle, is the official mascot of the team that can be seen throughout the building at certain times offering hugs to fans of all ages. There is a small gift shop in the building that has some t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and jerseys. Of course, there is the obligatory chuck-a-puck. Neighborhood 1 Since the arena is located in a business park, there is not much to do in the direct area but there are plenty of places within 15 minutes. Near the Capitol Ice Arena is Monk's Bar and Grill (general bar food-sandwiches, wraps, burgers, chicken, pizza and salads). The burgers here are very good. A bonus is that the Monk’s gives a discount for the food if you show your Madison Capitols ticket. A meal here is about $12 to $18. Food choices within seven miles of the area include: Biaggi’s Italian Ristorante (classic Italian fare-pizzas, pastas, salads, soups and seafood/steaks). A meal here is approximately $18 to $25. Nitty Gritty (general bar food-sandwiches, wraps, burgers, chicken, pizza and salads). A meal here is about $12 to $18. Portillo's (Italian beef, burgers and salads for all you Chicagoland people), and Ancho & Agave (Mexican food). The Capital Brewing is within 10 minutes from the arena and is good places for drinks and a full food menu if you enjoy microbrews. Of course, downtown Madison is near so there are many more options there. There are plenty of major chain hotels that are reasonably priced within 10 minutes of the arena. In addition, the University of Madison is located approximately 15 minutes to the southeast of the arena. So expect to find plenty of college bars and restaurants in the area. Fans 3 The average crowd for a game is a bout 2,000 for the past few years. Like any other game in this level there are many parents with kids. Of course, there are your diehards who are invested in the game. The Capitols definitely appeals to a family crowd however there some promotional nights that are for the adults, i.e., $1 beer night, wine night. On the night I was there the crowd was kinda dead, there didn’t seem to be a lot of excitement. Access 5 The arena is not far off of Route 12 and Route 14 located in an industrial park area. There is plenty of parking at the arena and the surrounding streets. Once inside, one doesn’t have to look too far to find the main rink where the team plays. There are bathrooms inside the arena and also in the lobby. Also, plenty of staff members can be found to answer any questions that may be on your mind. Public transportation is not available to the arena, however Uber and Lyft are readily available Return on Investment 3 Capitols games have three regular price points for tickets: $15, $17, and $19. These are pretty much average prices within the USHL. In addition, All-You-Can-Eat and Drink tickets for kids ($25.25), adults ($36.50(non-alcohol) and $41.50 (alcohol) is available. The concession stands are reasonable as is the team merchandise and the parking is free. . Extras 2 The arena receives an extra point for the Beef Stick. The Capitols get an extra point because the night I was there the Capitols had military themed specialty jerseys with the names of platoons on the back instead of players names. I have not seen this before. Final Thoughts Being close to the University of Wisconsin and they love their hockey there, this is an arena / game that is a good alternative to collegiate hockey. The arena has a nice atmosphere, friendly fans and affordable pricing especially when you can come out and the stars of tomorrow.

Photos by Michael Davis Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 The Depot at Cleburne Station 1906 Brazzell Road Cleburne, TX 76033 Cleburne Railroaders website The Depot at Cleburne Station website Year Opened: 2017 Capacity: 1,750 All Aboard to The Depot at Cleburne Station The Depot at Cleburne Station is a multi-use facility for the city of Cleburne, Texas. The facility opened on May 18, 2017, for $20.7 million. The opening of the 1,750 fixed-seat ballparks brought professional baseball back to Cleburne after a 95-year absence. Cleburne, Texas was an important hub for the Santa Fe Railway when trains would bring in cattle to push north along the Chisholm Trail to Kansas in the late 1800s. The history of professional baseball here dates back to 1906 when the original Railroaders joined the Texas League. The 1906 Cleburne team won the Texas League Championship with the talent of nine Major Leaguers, including Hall of Famer Tris Speaker. The team folded after the 1906 season. However, Cleburne would return in 1911, again with the Railroaders but this time in the Texas-Oklahoma League. The Railroaders would win their second league championship, but as before would not defend their crown the following season. Cleburne returned to the Texas-Oklahoma League 10 years later as the Cleburne Generals, playing for 2 seasons without a championship and then folding again in 1922 – Cleburne professional baseball then went dormant until the current Railroaders began to play in 2017. The Depot at Cleburne Station is a synthetic field with a dirt pitcher’s mound. The field size is asymmetrical with the left field being 335ft, while the right field is shorter at 320ft. The power alleys are 383ft (left-center) and 375ft (right-center), with the center field being 400ft. The home team occupies the third base dugout and both teams’ bullpens are in right-center hidden behind the kid’s zone. The Depot at Cleburne Station has already added an accolade to its resume – the Depot was voted by fans as their favorite independent baseball ballpark according to Ballpark Digest’s Best of the Ballparks in 2017. Food & Beverage 4 The Depot has two main concession stands, one serving each side of the baselines. The concessions are a surprise for the size of the ballpark – there is plenty of ballpark fare from peanuts, popcorn, and pretzels to candy, nachos, and hot dogs. All prices are under $5, with the items a little more expensive by $1 being the hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and sausage dogs. There are also a couple of specialty carts; one serving Wagyu burgers for $10 and jalapeno cheese sausage for $9, and the other brisket tacos for $8, or a brisket baked potato for $9.50. There are also plenty of sweets inside the ballpark, but a staple treat is the Artic Buzz (Vodka Ice Cream) for $9. Dr. Pepper products are featured at The Depot – fountain drinks prices are $3.50, bottled water is $2.75, and sports drinks are $3.75. In addition, there are plenty of adult beverages at a reasonable price of $5.50 for Coors Light, Bud Light, Shiner Bock, Michelob Ultra, and many more. There are also specialty beers from local breweries Revolver and Houston’s Karbach brewery that improve the beer selection for $1 more than the national domestic beer. Beer is available in both cans and on draft, and Crook and Marker flavors are available for fans who want a different type of alcoholic treat. Finally, there is an alcohol special for fans that attend Saturday night games – this is the Saturday Saturday night special, a $3 16oz can of Natural Light. Atmosphere 3 The Railroaders are on target with providing a great atmosphere for fans. The Depot is set to entertain the smallest fans with the team’s mascot, Spike, or even younger fans with shorter attention spans who can shoot a few basketballs while at the ballpark. There is the expected in-between innings entertainment with race contests as well as a ringing train bell for outs and runs. Every game can be a different perception of the atmosphere for many reasons, however, if you want to have a fun night with a small amount of money then a game at The Depot is one of the best atmospheres around. Neighborhood 2 The Depot at Cleburne Station is located on the northern outskirts of the city, at the intersection of US 67 and Chisolm Trail Parkway. Cleburne is a city with a population of around 30,000; the city is named in honor of Patrick Cleburne, a Confederate general. Cleburne is approximately a 1-hour drive from DFW International Airport, 30 miles south of Fort Worth (45-minute drive), or 75 miles north of Waco. Cleburne’s downtown area features several chain restaurants on W Henderson Street. The best food option in Cleburne is sampling the local flavors, so Tex-Mex at La Cima Mexican Cuisine or a small-town American diner such as Heroes Café would be good choices. The lodging near the ballpark is basic hotel chains such as Holiday Inn & Suites-Cleburne or La Quinta Inn. However, for a more unique recommendation, check out Liberty Hotel in the center of Cleburne. Attractions around Cleburne center on outdoor activities at the 498-acre Cleburne State Park or the 1,550-acre Lake Pat Cleburne. Or, on days when the Texas heat is not safe, the Layland Museum is showing the area’s historical relics, early Texana, comprehensive Indian artifacts dating from pre-Columbian cultures, fossils, and genealogy records. Fans 4 Cleburne went 95 years without professional baseball, so in the inaugural season of the return of Railroaders, it was 100% sold out (1,780) throughout the season. Of course, that season a former Texas Ranger, Rafael Palmiero, was playing alongside his son as the main attraction. The Cleburne baseball fans embraced having professionals back in Cleburne, but last year (2018) the attendance did drop 28% to 1,285 fans per game. But this 2019 season the team averages around 1,531 fans per game despite being the smallest ballpark in the league; the average attendance is now above others in the American Association. Although the crowd at The Depot may not be on par with larger ballparks, the fans are very vocal and engaged throughout the game. The fans at The Depot at Cleburne Station are also very community-oriented, with the locals being either diehard baseball fans or families enjoying the summer at the ballpark. Local fans have waited almost a century for baseball to return to Cleburne, and the strong pride of having baseball return coupled with an already proud connection to the past means professional baseball in Cleburne has a solid path to travel on well into the future. Access 3 Cleburne is about an hour’s drive from the DFW airport, on the Fort Worth side of the Metroplex. Using Interstate 35W south from the DFW area, The Depot at Cleburne Station is located off US HWY 67 at the Nolan River Road exit, or the south end of Chisholm Trail Parkway 27 miles from Fort Worth, Texas. A large parking lot is surrounding the ballpark, as Cleburne Station has yet to be fully constructed to its potential. Fans can enter the ballpark through one of two gates, the largest being the main gate behind home plate. This entrance is the center of The Depot and contains a historic chief engine train, pre-game entertainment, and box offices. Just inside the main entrance are the pro shop and the Cleburne Baseball Museum. The other entrance is a small entrance that connects the parking lot to the first base side of the concourse. The concourse is located above the seating bowl and houses the concessions and restrooms for the ballpark. The seating bowl at The Depot has safety netting that stretches from the right field general seating berm to the third base seating berm. This will most likely be the future of baseball safety and Cleburne is leading the safety-first campaign. The ballpark does have a party view patio and suites overlooking the lower bowl of seats and the concourse, and there is also a picnic patio along the right field line that has more trains. There is also a kid’s zone located beyond the right field fence that can be seen from the general seating areas, but the kid’s zone’s premier attraction is a basketball court. The team’s bullpens are located beyond the kids’ zone. The reason access is ranked as average is the distance of Cleburne from the DFW area, but once at the ballpark access is top-notch from the parking and gates to the concourse and seating areas. Return on Investment 4 Tickets for Cleburne Railroaders games range in price from $8 for berm admission to $12 for baseline reserved seating and $14 for reserved seats around the home plate; there is also the Suites party deck or the Rahr Bar table for $15. The cheapest seating is the picnic tables on the first base side for $6.25. Parking is free in the lots surrounding the ballpark, and concessions are surprisingly reasonably priced for a sports venue, making the overall ROI on a Railroaders game above average, and providing an affordable night out for the family. Extras 4 The Railroaders name connects not only Cleburne’s baseball past but also the history of this small Texas city, and the ballpark theme and future development at Cleburne Station is a great concept in continuing Cleburne’s history. Also, the Cleburne Baseball Museum located inside the main entrance is a great place to read about Cleburne baseball’s past teams. The ballpark itself is small, but is a perfect fit for Cleburne, and will give local baseball fans the enjoyment of watching the game for years to come. Final Thoughts The Depot at Cleburne Station is the headstone of future development around Cleburne, and the brand-new ballpark has the potential to keep professional baseball in Cleburne for many years to come. While Cleburne, Texas may not be a tourist hot spot, what it does have is an immaculate ballpark for any baseball fan. Any sports traveler in the Dallas-Fort Worth area should make a road trip to Cleburne and get aboard the Railroaders train at The Depot at Cleburne Station.

Photos by Lehigh Valley IronPigs and Steven Kee, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.57 Coca-Cola Park 1050 IronPigs Way Allentown, PA 18109 Lehigh Valley IronPigs website Coca-Cola Park website Year Opened: 2008 Capacity: 10,100 10,000,000 Million Fans Can’t Be Wrong When you think about Triple-A ballparks in some parts of the country, the LeighValley IronPigs come to mind. They have entertained the folks of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton since 2008, when the Philadelphia Phillies placed their top farm club less than 90 minutes away from Citizens Bank Park. The fanbase responded positively, leading all minor league baseball in attendance the last two seasons. Coca-Cola Park cost $50.75 million and has seating for 10,178 people, including a grass berm, 19 suites, numerous VIP sections, and one of the first standing-room-only social areas in baseball. The attention to these areas has made it the hub of excitement in an area without affiliated baseball since 1956. Improvements to the stadium have resulted in a new diamond warning track, a new drainage system, and regrading the infield before last season. Upgrades the year before included expanded clubhouses, male and female locker rooms, training facilities, hydro space, and a new center field entrance. The IronPig name comes from a nickname derived from the term “pig iron” used in manufacturing steel in the Lehigh Valley. There are also nods to the history of baseball on the concourse, with photos and art of past teams and players. All of it adds to a Triple-A ballpark known for its “Hog Wild” fan base. Food & Beverage 5 There are around 38 points of sales for food and beverages at the ballpark, ranging from the simple to the extreme. There is something for everyone to try and much more to enjoy during the baseball season. If you like bacon, this is the ballpark to visit. The club has an array of bacon-theme dishes, including bacon slices, chocolate-covered bacon, candied bacon, sandwiches, and bacon topped on pierogies and brownie sundaes. Traditional hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, chicken tenders, french fries, soft pretzels, brats, and popcorn are also featured. The ballpark also serves bacon mac and cheese, brisket bowls with cornbread in a waffle bowl, pulled pork poutine, and pierogies with caramelized onions.  The sweet treats include churros, funnel cake, brownies, sundaes, deep-fried Oreo cookies, fried cheesecake rolls, funnel cake fries, and several varieties of ice cream.  Highlights include The Pork Racer (bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with pulled pork and candied jalapenos), the Taco Dog (hot dog topped with taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and shredded lettuce), Coqui Street Dog (chili, sauteed onions, sauerkraut, cheese, and potato sticks), and a pork parfait (bbq pulled pork, layered with mashed potatoes, and caramelized bacon toppings). Atmosphere 5 Coca-Cola Park offers a lot to take in for baseball enthusiasts. AT&T Plaza is a pleasant area for adults and children. It doubles as the social center of the ballpark, and its main entrance is a great place to sit down and enjoy a local act on its entertainment stage. Once inside, the clubhouse store along the right field sells an assortment of team merchandise. The Kidz Zone is behind the picnic patio in the left-field corner and offers games and a playground to keep the little ones entertained. The beer garden is worth visiting for specialty microbrews. The IronPigs wear specialty jerseys on the weekends that include a gold standard on Friday, a Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired jersey on Saturdays, and a Phillies-themed jersey on Sundays that looks like it came from 1979. It does not include other specialty nights throughout the season that include a Mummers-inspired look based on the New Year’s Day parade in Philadelphia. The specialty areas include The Bacon Strip, a lone aisle of seating behind the right field wall, the Pig Pen behind the bullpen in left field, and the Capital Blue Tiki Terrace & Oasis, which is a popular spot to relax and talk with friends and family in left field.  The in-between activities offer t-shirt tossing, slingshot contests, and the “Pork Race.” Chris B. Bacon, Diggety, Barbie Q, Ribbie, and Hambone fight towards the finish line. Speaking of mascots, FeRROUS and FeFe are the primary mascots of the team and entertain fans of all ages throughout the game. Fans 5 The IronPigs were ranked number one in attendance in all of minor league baseball for the second year in a row and have never finished lower than 8th in attendance in their history. There were 32 sellouts this past season, and the team attracted 1,000,000 people home and away. The club will welcome its 10-millionth fan in 2025. The fans proudly wear the IronPig colors and various alternate theme caps and shirts during games. It also helps when you are affiliated with the nearby Philadelphia Phillies, but there are more reasons why people come out to games. The food, promotions, fireworks, and value are many reasons the Pigs rank number one in minor-league baseball. Access 4 Coca-Cola Park is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, accessible from all major interstates and state routes of I-476, I-78, and US-22. It is a 90-minute drive from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City. The parking lots ($5 charge, credit card only) are separated into six different lots, named after Coca-Cola products. Coke Zero, Cherry Coke, and Powerade are closest to the main gates along IronPig Way. Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Sprite are a little further away, between Long Drive. The parking lots open 2 1/2 hours before game time and close 1 hour after the game's conclusion. The ballpark offers a wraparound concourse with plenty of areas to move around and enjoy the game. The crowd can become dense on certain nights, but traffic flows smoothly before and after the game. Neighborhood  3 Coca-Cola Park is located 3 miles from downtown Allentown in a residential and commercial neighborhood. There is nowhere to walk to before or after the game, and it is recommended to arrive by car. However, The area offers places to visit with the kids during the summertime, including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, the Crayola Experience in Easton, Grim’s Orchard & Family Farm, and movies in the park. A place to visit is Yocco’s, a hot dog spot that has been in business for 100 years. They have a specialty made frank with a secret chili sauce. Pair them up with deep-fried pierogies and a glass of birch beer. Sports fans can enjoy more baseball at nearby ECTB Stadium  and Limeport Stadium . The ladder was built in 1933 and is home to the Limeport Bulls and Dodgers of the amateur Blue Mountain League. The PPL Center  houses the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League. Return on Investment 5 Tickets start at $9, parking is $5, and the hot dogs are $1 (Tuesdays and Thursdays).  The team shop features several clearance items if you are looking to save a few more dollars. Attending an IronPigs game provides a lot of bang for your buck. The IronPigs offer 32 Giveaway Nights and 7 Special Nights, including appearances, alternative jerseys, fireworks, and community nights. There is Tail Waggin’ Tuesdays, where fans can bring their dogs and enjoy $1 hot dogs. Tacos & Tallboys Wednesdays feature $2 tacos and $5 16-ounce cans. Thursday's Happy Hour is between 5 to 7 PM, with select beers on sale. Extras 5 If you like bacon, this is the ballpark to visit. The club has an array of bacon-theme dishes, including bacon slices, chocolate-covered bacon, candied bacon, sandwiches, and bacon topped on pierogies and brownie sundaes. The titled Coke bottle sits atop the scoreboard that shakes, illuminates, and shoots fireworks after an IronPigs home run. AT&T Plaza is a pleasant area for adults and children. It doubles as the social center of the ballpark, and its main entrance is a great place to sit down and enjoy a local act on its entertainment stage. The IronPigs gift shop has an abundance of merchandise, from caps, shirts, jerseys, and gifts for the children. There are numerous clearance items, alternate-theme jerseys, and caps on sale at times. A highlight of the game is the IronPigs pork racers. Chris B. Bacon, Diggety, Barbie Q, Ribbie, and Hambone fight towards the finish line each game in the famous “Pork Race.”  Final Thoughts Attending a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game at Coca-Cola Park is a joyous experience and continues to shine brightly year after year. The ball club offers fantastic promotions and unique food options while creating a fun experience for everyone who enters the ballpark.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43 Quinnipiac Baseball Field 275 Mt Carmel Ave Hamden, CT 06518 Quinnipiac Bobcats website Quinnipiac Baseball Field website Year Opened: 1967 Capacity: 500 In the Shadow of the Sleeping Giant   Many ballparks boast of stunning views beyond their outfield fences. City skylines rise beyond ballparks in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, ocean vistas in Brooklyn and Pensacola attract the eye, and spectacular mountain views can be seen in Ogden. Tiny Quinnipiac Baseball Field boasts its own natural backdrop. Even better, fans don’t have to spend a cent to take in a ballgame with this view.   Located in the shadows of Sleeping Giant Mountain Park, Quinnipiac Baseball Field was built in 1966 by a group of students. For decades it served as home to Bobcat baseball. In preparation for the 2024 season, the entire park was redone. These renovations included the installation of field turf throughout the facility, new fencing and new dugouts. As part of these improvements, the field’s legendary right field berm was removed from the field of play.   Quinnipiac competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference alongside several other schools located primarily in the New York City metro area. The Bobcats have appeared in two NCAA Tournaments, in 2005 and 2019. The team has yet to advance past the Regional round, although they did win one game in the 2019 tournament. One Quinnipiac alumnus, Turk Wendell, has played in the Major Leagues.   Food & Beverage 0    There are no concessions sold at Quinnipiac Baseball Field. Fans are welcome to bring their own snacks to enjoy during the game (just no alcohol, please). If you need to grab something during a Bobcats game, there are vending machines in the nearby (well, maybe not so nearby) Athletic and Recreation Center.   Atmosphere 2   The gameday atmosphere at a Quinnipiac baseball game is typical of other college ballparks in the northeast. The presentation is simple and understated. Frankly, anything more than the basics would feel terribly out of place here.   The ball field is dominated by its backdrop, Sleeping Giant Mountain. In keeping with this most natural of ballpark sites, there’s not a lot of extras to be found. Ballpark noises not produced on the field or by the fans (i.e. music and PA announcements) are provided via a pair of temporary speakers set up behind home plate, where the Quinnipiac game day staff post up. All extraneous noise is kept to a minimum. A simple scoreboard in right field provides count, inning and score.   Neighborhood 3   Right across the street from Quinnipiac Baseball Field is Sleeping Giant State Park, a popular destination for hiking and other outdoor activities. The mountain got its name due to its resemblance to a person laying down. If visiting the area on a nice spring afternoon, the many trails here are worth exploring before a game.   While Hamden is a lovely community, once named as one of America’s “best small cities” by CNN Money, it is hardly a destination location. There are no dining or lodging options within immediate walking distance of campus. Nearby Whitney Street is filled with strip malls, which give visiting fans some options for pre- and postgame dining. Many visiting fans will instead opt to head into New Haven, which has a well-deserved reputation as a foodie hotspot.   Whitney Avenue dissects the two Quinnipiac campuses. As mentioned before, there are plenty of eateries here if you wish to stay local. Eli’s on Whitney is a Bobcats sponsor and a popular choice of Bobcat fans. If you continue south on Whitney Ave. for a few miles you will find yourself in downtown New Haven on the campus of the Bobcats’ chief hockey rival, Yale University. Visiting fans will find plenty of lodging and dining options in this area, including Louis’ Lunch, the birthplace of the hamburger, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s, the originators of New Haven-style apizza.   Fans 2   Crowds at Quinnipiac baseball games can accurately be described as a “friends and family” type of gathering. Generally numbering between 100-200 fans, most of the people in attendance have a personal connection to the players on the field. As you can imagine, this means that they are knowledgeable about the game and enthusiastic in their support. With the compact geographic footprint of the MAAC conference, it’s not unusual to see strong support by visiting fans.   Access 4   Quinnipiac is located in the New Haven suburb of Hamden. This town of just over 60,000 residents is located just to the north of New Haven. Quinnipiac University is located in the Mount Carmel neighborhood on the northern edge of town.   The university is split into two campuses about a mile from each other on opposite sides of Whitney Avenue. Most of the school’s athletic facilities are located on the older Mount Carmel campus. The newer York Hill campus contains M&T Bank Arena, home of the Bobcat hockey  and basketball teams.   The university is easily reached via Interstate 91, which runs a few miles east of campus. Visiting fans will take exit 10 off I-91 to the Mt. Carmel Connector (Route 40). Travel just over a mile north on Whitney Avenue to Mount Carmel Avenue, and the entrance to the campus will be on your right.   The construction on the ball field, along with the adjoining rugby field and tennis courts, was finished just before the baseball season started. As a result, not everything at Quinnipiac Baseball Field was 100% finished as of Stadium Journey’s visit. Most notably, there is a gigantic mound of dirt in between the parking lot and the field. There are plans to landscape this mound into a viewing hill, which will return some of the facility’s natural charm. For 2024, this area is roped off and inaccessible. Fans must walk around this dirt pile on their way to the field from the parking lot.   The only seating at the ballpark is in the form of a pair of metal bleachers located well beyond first base. Look for some bleachers to return to their familiar spot behind home plate in the future. The field’s signature right field berm, while not in the field of play anymore, is still there beyond the fence. It provides a nice place for fans to sit and bring their own chairs to take in the action. Rest rooms are located in the Athletic and Recreation Center adjacent to the parking lot.   Return on Investment 5   There is no charge for admission to a Quinnipiac baseball game. With free parking in the lot on the other side of the huge dirt mound and no concessions on site, you won’t spend a single cent when watching a Bobcats game.   Extras 1   In 2024 Quinnipiac honored Class of 1970 alumnus, longtime baseball coach and Director of Operations Dan Gooley. Gooley holds the school’s strikeout record and racked up 439 wins during his tenure as the Bobcats’ head coach. His number 15 is posted on the right field wall.   Final Thoughts   While the renovations undertaken at Quinnipiac Baseball Field are undoubtedly great news for the players and for recruiting, it’s taken away much of the charm of this old ball field. Maybe this will change when everything is finished. For now, we’ll give QU Baseball Field an incomplete and look forward to our next visit.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71 Rodgers Recreation Center 63 Lawrence Ave Newport, RI 02840 Salve Regina Seahawks men's basketball website Rodgers Recreation Center website Year Opened: 2000 Capacity: 300 Hoops Among the Mansions   Salve Regina University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Newport, RI. In Latin, Salve Regina translates to “Hail Queen,” which makes sense as the school began as a women’s college. Founded in 1934, the school is now coeducational, with an enrollment of 2,800 students in 40 majors. The school is best known today for its outstanding nursing programs. Nestled amongst Newport’s famous Gilded Age mansions, it has been ranked among the nation’s most beautiful colleges by both Architectural Digest and Conde Nast Traveler.   The Salve Regina basketball teams play in the Rodgers Recreation Center, named in honor of Thomas Rodgers Jr., a longtime trustee and benefactor of the University. The building of the recreation center was the cornerstone of the university’s 50th anniversary campaign.   Starting in 2023, Salve Regina competes in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference, a Division Three conference consisting of schools throughout New England. The Seahawks have qualified for two NCAA Tournaments, the most recent in 2011.   Food & Beverage 0    There is no food or beverages sold at Salve basketball games. Fans are welcome to bring in their own snacks to enjoy during the game. You’ll be sure to see many fans enjoying a warm beverage from the local Dunkin’ during a cold Rhode Island winter night.   Atmosphere 2   As you might expect in a small gym like the Rodgers Center, you will not find an elaborate game day presentation at a Seahawks basketball game. A basic scoreboard on the far side of the gym displays game information, while a PA announcer goes about his work in an unobtrusive manner. There’s a cheerleading squad and pep band present, but they are rather muted when compared to many other area gyms. Most of the noise during Seahawk games comes from the families who do a good job of filling the tiny bleachers in the Rodgers Center.   Neighborhood 5   Without a doubt, the biggest strength of the Rodgers Recreation Center is its location. Nestled in between Newport’s Gilded Age mansions and its famous Brick Market, there is plenty to do and see before and after a Seahawks basketball game.   Easton Beach and the famous Cliff Walk are just a stone’s throw from the Rodgers Center. A local’s tip: get to the area early and walk the Cliff Walk , a 3.5-mile path that runs behind many of Newport’s famous mansions atop a 70-foot shoreline cliff. The 40 Steps , one of the highlights of the Cliff Walk, are just two blocks from Salve’s gym. Just to the west of Rodgers Center is the Newport Casino, home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. After the game, head a half mile in the other direction to America’s Cup Avenue, where the Brick Marketplace contains numerous fine restaurants, pubs and shops. The area will be much less crowded during the winter months of the basketball season, but still worth a visit. Also located here is Cardines Field , one of the oldest ballparks still in use in the country.   Other attractions in Newport include Fort Adams State Park, Touro Synagogue (the oldest synagogue in the country) and the Newport Art Museum. Fans visiting the area will have no shortage of choices for dining, shopping or lodging. More complete information can be found at DiscoverNewport.org .   Fans 2   Salve Regina draws between 100-200 fans for most of their home games at the Rodgers Recreation Center. This is typically what we at Stadium Journey call a “Friends and Family” type of crowd. Most of the people in the stands have a personal connection with the players on the court. You’ll see lots of family members in the stands. As a result, the fans are invested in the game and show strong support throughout the game.   There’s a good turnout from the student body at Seahawk basketball game. With many games on Salve’s schedule consisting of local opponents, it’s not unusual to see a good turnout from visiting fans as well. Even though the crowds may be small, they do a good job of filling up the tiny grandstand at Rodgers Recreation Center.   Access 3   Newport is a city of about 25,000 residents located at the southern tip of Aquidneck Island. Best known as a popular summer destination, this seaside town is famous for its Gilded Age mansions and sailing history.   Located 33 miles south of Providence and 74 miles south of Boston, it is not easily accessed by any highways. The closest interstate to Newport is I-195, which runs from Providence to Cape Cod about 20 miles north of Newport. Route 24 runs from Fall River down through the upper half of Aquidneck Island. Once the highway ends visitors will navigate Route 114 into the city.   Rodgers Recreation Center is located in the northern edge of Newport, just behind the Newport Casino and just blocks from the city’s famous Gilded Age mansions. This area is full of historic sites and a popular summer destination. While it may be a bit less crowded during the winter, it’s still not the easiest area to navigate.   There is plenty of parking near the Rodgers Center, either in the facility’s lot or on local streets. Just be sure to pay attention to signs, as many area streets have restrictions. There is some public parking available near the 40 Steps on Narragansett Avenue.   Seating at the Rodgers Center consists of one set of wooden bleachers on the west side of the court. Rest rooms are located right off the lobby. They are small, but plenty large enough for a Salve basketball crowd.   Return on Investment 5   Tickets to a Salve basketball game are sold as General Admission seating for six dollars. Be warned that no cash is accepted here, you must buy your tickets electronically, either in advance or on your phone. The process is quick and easy for you phone novices out there. Parking is free in the lot adjacent to the center or on the nearby city streets.   Extras 2   Salve Regina displays its athletic history throughout the Rodgers Center. The school’s athletic Hall of Fame is located in the lobby. Inside the gym hang banners honoring conference titles, tournament appearances and 1,000-point scorers.   An additional extra point is awarded for the Rodgers Center’s design. It’s shingle-style exterior is meant to be a counterpart to its Gilded Age neighbors while echoing the look of the nearby Newport Casino and Isaac Bell house.   Final Thoughts   Even though a trip to the seaside city of Newport, Rhode Island isn’t on the mind of many basketball fans in the winter months, A trip to the Rodgers Recreation Center is worth your time. If the weather cooperates, a walk on the nearby Cliff Walk and a postgame stop at the Brick Market makes for a great Stadium Journey.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photo courtesy of the City of San Antonio The year 2024 will go down as a monumental one in San Antonio and South Texas, especially in terms of the state of its sports venues. A once-in-a-lifetime confluence of circumstances – both planned and unforeseen – have created a moment in time that is going to impact four (and potentially five) of the city’s venues and three of its major sports teams: the San Antonio Spurs , San Antonio Missions , and UTSA Roadrunners . These factors include a looming deadline from Major League Baseball, the relocation of a university institution, and the accrual of public land all happening at the same time. Officials with the City of San Antonio unveiled a long-rumored master plan in November dubbed “ Project Marvel .” Should it come to fruition, it would create a new entertainment district that would reshape the city’s downtown area. The ultimate goal would be the construction of a new arena for the Spurs on a site currently occupied by UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures at HemisFair Park, a massively renovated Alamodome for the Roadrunners, and the two sites connected by a land bridge rising over the highway that currently divides them, allowing pedestrians access to both venues. The owners of the Missions have their own visions of a downtown stadium as well, and are currently in the middle of negotiations to acquire land parcels needed for the site. The new ballpark would meet MLB’s standards and allow the team to move away from Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium , and more importantly keep the club in the Alamo City. These are unprecedented times in the city, and it has taken a herculean effort to keep track of all of the moving pieces to these massive projects. Madison Iszler  is a business and real estate reporter for the San Antonio Express-News . She’s done a fantastic job covering these stories and I asked for her help to make sense of all the moving parts in these stories, as well as to share her insight on the forces behind them. I would recommend following her online on X here  for all the latest updates. Photo courtesy of Madison Iszler   EM:  We’ll just jump right in and do a broad overview to start with. What is ‘Project Marvel’ and what can you share about how it affects the sports teams in San Antonio? MI: Project Marvel , I think, should be transformational for all of downtown should all the pieces of it pan out. There are a couple of big facilities involved. There’s the Alamodome . We don’t know a lot about that yet, as far as what it entails and what other events the city would try to attract with that. Also, expansion of the [Henry B. González] Convention Center , which has been expanded before, and then the Spurs [arena] , which I think most folks are most excited about. There are some other minor projects like apartments, restaurants, parking, and the land bridge, which could potentially connect the Alamodome with the rest of downtown. So, there are a bunch of different things with a bunch of different timelines and probably costing a lot of money.   EM: Hypothetically, if there were no obstacles at all in the way, when would some of these plans ideally get started? MI:  The City Manager, Erik Walsh, has said they’re furthest along with the Convention Center piece. They laid out kind of a rough timeframe for everything when this was first unveiled to the City Council. It’ll take a while, but they are being aggressive with certain pieces. So, the Spurs arena , for example, said that construction could start in 2028, which is fairly soon. The Alamodome  would be the last piece of the puzzle, because they said they couldn’t start on [renovations] until the Final Four [which is scheduled to be held at the Alamodome in 2025].   EM:  Obviously, money and how things will be paid for is going to be a pretty major hurdle to overcome for this project. What are some other things that might be in the way that could disrupt Project Marvel? MI:  Yeah, the money is a big one. Where does it come from? What types of mechanisms will be used? Will voters be asked to pay for anything? That’s a big piece. There is also a lot of construction going on downtown right now. The Alamo Visitors Center and Museum , what’s going on at HemisFair . The Final Four is going to be a big deal downtown. There’s a bunch of stuff being built right now. So, I think just in terms of logistics, figuring out how that’s going to work. I was just working this week on a story on parking  and how the infrastructure aspect of Project Marvel will work. I think that’s another roadblock. City officials have said that’s part of all of this. They’re going to look at how they’re going to get people in and out of the area more easily and how much more parking they’re going to need. That is definitely a question I’ve been getting from our readers – “Where the heck am I going to park?”   EM:  One of the unique aspects of this, that I’m not sure many other big cities have to factor in with their major pro sports franchises, is how Bexar County – which San Antonio resides in – will have a say in the new Spurs arena. The Frost Bank Center site, rather infamously some might say, was built using County-owned land. So, the Spurs moving impacts the County greatly. Where are things currently with the County and their involvement in the project? MI:  [Bexar County Judge] Peter Sakai has said that he wants to see a plan for redeveloping the Frost Bank Center before he commits to anything, as far as funding. One of the potential financing sources city officials had raised [when presenting Project Marvel] to the council was maybe a county venue tax. Obviously, they would need the county on board for that. The Spurs lease [at the Frost Bank Center ] runs through 2032, so they could leave earlier than that. If the city is going to start construction in 2028, it’s not going to take that long to build, so the Spurs could definitely leave before 2032. It’s not clear right now if the county is going to be on board and it’s not clear what the plan around the Frost Bank Center would look like.   EM:  Shifting gears, I know there is a lot more that will need to happen before we see developments from Project Marvel, but let’s talk about the Missions . This seems to be a lot closer to getting moving than the other downtown venues. What can you tell me about where things are now? MI:  At this point, it seems that the holdup is a parking lot that [the San Antonio Independent School District] owns. It’s part of the footprint of where the ballpark would go. The owners of the Missions  have indicated that they need that as part of their plans. [The school district] hasn’t decided if they’re going to sell it. There’s been a lot of back and forth over the past couple weeks. The City and the County have signed off on financing for the ballpark. Weston Urban [owners of the Missions ] own the land around the area, but there’s this little, tiny hole that still needs to be filled. The school district came out with a list of demands that are conditions for them to sell. I don’t know what the city and the county and Weston Urban have been willing to budge on or not. It was quite a lengthy list of demands. [EDITOR’S NOTE: On Monday, December 16, all of the parties came together and agreed on a cost for the land in question .]   EM:  The Missions  are really motivated right now by what is essentially a ticking clock  from Major League Baseball. They have an urgency to get things done. What about everyone else involved in this process? MI:  That’s a good question and one that I’d like to get answered myself. Right now, the Missions  aren’t talking. They kept saying, as you referenced, that they’re under a deadline and they wanted to get a deal done so that they could communicate that to MLB. It’s unclear to me if that meant them just sending the most basic of documents and saying here is where we want to put it and the city and the county are okay with it and then MLB saying you’re good to go. Or does MLB want more details, like how are you going to pay for it? Do you have all the parcels of land you’ll need? I just don’t know, and the Missions  have not said. My impression at this point, given that the Missions  haven’t been yanked yet is that they’re fine. They got the city and the county to sign off, but I’m sure if the school district doesn’t sign off, then that’s another story. I don’t know what happens if they don’t approve.   EM:  I could go on and on with you about this for forever, but I’ll wrap up with the big question. I’ve heard some of these ideas and plans for more than a decade. Why now is all of this looking like it has momentum to happen? MI:  The City Manager has said that it’s kind of a mix of factors. He and other tourism folks have said that the city is losing out in terms of conventions. So, that part of Project Marvel is factored into that. UTSA also approached the city about what to do with the Institute of Texan Cultures site, so that’s part of it. Also, the Spurs lease runs out at the Frost Bank Center in 2032. That’s fairly soon. Also, downtown has been in a weird place since the pandemic. It’s been hotel and tourism dominated for a while. People that live in San Antonio don’t really go downtown, and it’s been quite clear for some time that companies don’t want to go there [for office space]. In cities like Dallas and Houston, they have a bunch of corporations in their downtowns, while we don’t have that. Also, the city has a ton of land in their control. It’s a huge footprint to work with. I’m definitely excited to keep writing about this and to see what happens with some of the pieces. ---------- Follow Eric Moreno's Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477 .

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park 10267 US Hwy 136 Indianapolis, IN 46234 Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park website NASCAR Camping World Truck Series website Year Opened: 1960 Capacity: 30,000 NASCAR Returns to (Smaller) Indy Racing at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, aka Indianapolis Raceway Park or IRP, has long been a staple of NASCAR’s lower divisions. Both the NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series ran there for years while the Cup Series took on the big oval a few miles away. However, a long absence saw the track somewhat forgotten. However, true fans yearned for a return to the short oval and were duly rewarded in 2022 – the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Truck Series made a triumphant return to the speedway this year, showcasing the best in the sport’s rising talent on one of the Midwest’s best short tracks. Food & Beverage 3 The food options here are limited; some local food trucks were in attendance at the track, and the raceway’s concessions stands are small, leading to longer lines. However, the options are solid enough and affordable compared to larger sports stadiums. A beer will cost you $10, but other drinks are less expensive, such as water, Gatorade, sodas ($5), energy drinks ($7), and coffee or hot chocolate ($3). Steak burger combos ($15) and chicken tenders with fries ($10) are the two big items on the menu, with others such as hot dogs ($6), nachos ($6), popcorn ($10), and jumbo pretzels ($6) offered as well. Atmosphere 4 There is just something about Midwest short track racing on a Saturday night – the atmosphere is electric, and with the return of NASCAR you could feel the energy getting more and more palpable. The fans here are hardcore race loyalists, and the facility itself showcases the best of Midwest motorsports. The short track itself is worn, making for good racing. The stands are tight and close to the track, giving you a feeling like you’re right on top of the action. The turn-one viewing berm offers fans with general admission an alternate viewing angle, getting you closer to the cars than most NASCAR facilities. In addition, the backstretch features a picturesque view of farm fields and silos, making for a true feeling of being in the country’s heartland. Neighborhood 3 There isn’t a lot around the track itself. Located west of Speedway, Indiana, you will have to venture into the farmland of outer Indianapolis to find this facility. With that said, you’re not but a few minutes from shopping and dining, as well as hotels to stay at. You have the same options as you would at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, being just a few miles west of the large track. Fans 5 The fans here are without a doubt some of the best in racing – they’re motorsports loyalists, cheering for their favorite drivers with zest. Diehards to the core, many of them have grown up among the tracks of the Midwest, and many more can tell you the history of Indiana’s motorsports triumphs. You will also be treated to the Midwest hospitality Indiana is famous for, which goes a long way in making this a family-friendly facility. Access 4 To get to Lucas Oil Raceway Park you can take either I-74 or I-465 as your main routes, with access via US-136 or the Ronald Reagan Parkway. Parking on-site was free and plentiful for this year’s event. The track is also easy to navigate once you’re inside, and traffic flow leaving the event was similarly hassle-free. Return on Investment 5 Tickets to this race are incredibly affordable; general admission, making up the majority of the lower half of the main grandstands, is $35, with reserved seating, aka the upper half, costing just $45. Coupled with free parking and generally affordable concessions prices, you have a solid return on investment. On top of that, you get two races for the price of one, showcasing the best young talent NASCAR has in its pipeline. Extras 3 The track is also the site of the Lucas Oil drag strip, home to NHRA every year. In addition, while here you have the ability to walk to the viewing mounds at turns 1 and 4, offering a better view up close in the corners. Finally, victory lane takes place on the front stretch, right in front of the fans, giving you a great view of the post-race celebrations. Final Thoughts Look no further than Lucas Oil Raceway Park when looking for a good evening of top-tier racing on a Midwest short track. This track has it all, and you can’t get a better deal for NASCAR Trucks and ARCA action in one night. The facility oozes history, and the fans make sure every event is memorable. There are few places that can match the excitement of this facility, and racing diehards flock to it for good reason.

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Welland Stadium 90 Quaker Rd Welland, ON L3C 7K6 Welland Jackfish website Welland Stadium website Year Opened: 1989 Capacity: 3,241 Ripples in the Pond Are they ripples, or are the Welland Jackfish making waves?  A relative newborn in the over 100-year-old Intercounty Baseball League, at a mere five years old the Jackfish are bringing a different approach to the league and showing how successful it can be.  After moving to the Niagara city of Welland from Burlington in 2019, the ownership triad of Ryan Harrison, Dan Pokoradi, and Jason McKay decided to take a page out of Jesse Cole’s Savannah Bananas book and build an IBL team differently.  Using the facility to their advantage, arguably the best in the league, the Jackfish have responded with success on the field (2023 Dominico Cup Champions) and success at the turnstile. The home for the Jackfish is Welland Stadium.  Part of the Welland Sports Complex, Welland Stadium has been home to the affiliated Welland Pirates of the New York-Penn League as well as several independent teams.  Built in 1989, the City of Welland-owned stadium provides a backdrop for baseball that is consistent with what is found in the USA for the lower-tier affiliated Minor League teams.  Nicknamed The Pond, Welland Stadium helps provide the Welland Jackfish with the best atmosphere in the IBL. Food & Beverage 3 The concession options at Welland Stadium are not over the top, but they hit the spot. Ballpark favourites including pizza, hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, and nachos are all found at the lone concession window. Pepsi products are available for soft drinks in bottles. The beer selection is far better than expected with some products from Newark Brewing to go along with OV and Coors The most popular beer, by far, is the Welland Jackfish Pond Water by Newark Brewing, a special product for the team.  New to the 2024 lineup is Slippery Fish Light Lager also by Newark Brewing. Concession lines can be long at times, but additional concession points have helped. Atmosphere 4 Part of the larger Welland Sports Complex, which also houses a few other baseball diamonds,  Welland Stadium has a fairly nondescript exterior.  With a low profile exterior with a light block and green siding roof, Welland Stadium is not intimidating at all and is deceiving as the playing surface is below the parking lot ground level.  The grounds around the building are well maintained with shrubs and flowers, appropriate for a city nicknamed Rose City. After entering the main gate at the southwest side of the stadium, fans enter an exterior concourse to the main stadium.  Completely open, the concourse allows fans to travel in a widened horseshoe and ends with berm seating along both left and right field.  The seating area has seven rows of brand-new plastic stadium seats, followed by four rows of steel bleachers with backs and supports for 2,500 fans.  Bar seating behind third base is an option for larger groups with high-top tables and stools and the new Newark Brewing Barge along the first base side offers a patio-like atmosphere.  The Jackfish make the most of the stadium with plenty of Welland Jackfish markings and banners.  Banners on light standards promoting team players are a unique feature in this league and the slogans “Hooked on Fun” and “Your 9 Inning Vacation” can be found all over the stadium.  The Jackfish also make use of an LED video board beyond the left-centrefield fence, another unique feature in this league.  The highlight for the team is probably the 2023 Dominico Cup Championship banner that hangs in right field honouring the first championship in team history. The Jackfish produce a gameday atmosphere unlike any other in the IBL.  Following the Savannah Banana model, there is constant promotion happening.  From races and contests to the 50/50 to the unique “Kiss The Fish” promotion, each half-inning has something happening.  The mascot, Jacques, is found participating in promotions or interacting with fans.  The PA system at Welland Stadium is good and is used to not only play walk-up music for the home team but for the visiting team as well.  Visitor walk-up songs are comprised of overplayed, maligned tunes as well as silly, kid songs. Overall, the experience in Welland is unlike any other in the league. Neighbourhood 3 Welland Stadium is part of the Welland Sports Complex, a larger baseball facility. It is located on the edge of the city in a fairly residential area. The roofs of people's houses are seen beyond the right field fence. Welland only has a population of 55,000 but also draws from the Greater Niagara area including St. Catharines, Thorold, and Niagara Falls. The Welland Sports Complex, where Welland Stadium is located, has a few other ball diamonds on it and is central to the local community baseball scene. There are a few spots for pre and post-game food and drinks on nearby Niagara Street. Large chain restaurants like Boston Pizza, Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, and Tim Hortons are all within a congregated area. A couple of unique spots fans may want to try include M.T. Bellies and Mr Mike’s Steakhouse. There isn’t much in Welland as far as other sports options go. The Junior B Welland Jr. Canadiens of the GOJHL play in the winter months.  The greater Niagara region also has other options. The Meridian Centre in St. Catharines is home to the Niagara IceDogs  of the OHL and Niagara River Lions of the CEBL. Brock University also fields hockey and basketball  teams. Other attractions include the iconic Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, as well as all of the other tourist attractions in Niagara Falls, and there are plenty of wineries in the region. Fans who wish to stay near the park can hit the Travelodge on Niagara Street or head across the Welland River to the Holiday Inn. Fans 5 The efforts of the Welland Jackfish have been rewarded at the turnstiles.  Steady growth over time has brought the team to the place where they are the only IBL team that reports attendance.  In the 2024 season, the Jackfish averaged over 1,900 fans per game and the game that was reviewed was a sellout.  Anecdotally, this is the best attendance in the league and possibly by a significant margin. Welland fans are also atypical of Southern Ontario and are fairly boisterous and easy to get riled up.  Chants of “Let’s Go Jackfish” are not uncommon and widely supported.   Access 4 Getting to the Welland Sports Complex is not difficult.  A short drive off of Highway 406 will bring fans to the complex with ease.  Welland is not that big to begin with so even getting through the city will not be difficult.  Traffic should not be an issue.  The complex has plenty of free parking, so finding a spot will also not be an issue.  For fans wishing to take public transportation, buses run on nearby Niagara Street.  Fans should check out the Niagara Region Transit  website for fares, maps, and schedules.  Getting around Welland Stadium is not too challenging, although bigger crowds do mean more challenges getting around.  The washrooms are adequate for the facility.  Return on Investment 5 The Welland Jackfish not only provide the best experience in the IBL, but they also provide the best return on investment.  Reserved Seating is an option at Welland Stadium.  Brand-new plastic stadium seats go for $15. Bleacher seats are $13 and lawn seating is also $13.  Berm seating for kids 10 and under is $5.  Walk-ups will cost an extra $1.  The concession prices are very reasonable and the parking is free.  The grand calculus shows an atmosphere that is second to none in the IBL and a top-notch return on investment. Extras 3 An extra mark for the  “Kiss the Fish” promotion where, out of East Coast tradition, one lucky fan must kiss a fish to be officially “hooked”. Truly an original promo. An extra mark for the Jackfish thinking outside the IBL box and changing the face of the league. An extra mark for the Jackfish branding. A Jackfish is a nickname for a pike, which can be found in the local rivers. The colours are bold and bright and plenty of fans are sporting Jackfish merchandise Final Thoughts The Welland Jackfish have taken a different approach to baseball in the IBL and have been rewarded at the turnstile.  Taking advantage of Welland Stadium and having a more active environment for baseball has the other teams in the league taking notice.  Changes could, and should be in the works in the future for the other teams in the league.  Making ripples at the pond, indeed. ---- Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Capital Credit Union Park 2231 Holmgren Way Ashwaubenon, WI 54115 Green Bay Rockers website Capital Credit Union Park website Year Opened: 2019 Capacity: 3,359 Green Bay’s Quirky Home for Baseball The Northwoods League is full of older ballparks that have been heavily renovated and brand-new ballparks built to house multiple sports franchises and other events. The league’s newest ballpark Capital Credit Union Park is easily one of the quirkiest places for baseball during the league’s summer months of June and July. The Green Bay Rockers, formerly the Green Bay Bullfrogs and Booyah, call the $14 million venue home. The ball club shares it with the Green Bay Voyageurs FC of the USL League Two and it would appear that the venue is more suitable for soccer than baseball. The most striking feature is the 282 distance from home plate to right field which would make Yankee Stadium green with envy. However, many other anomalies include permanent soccer lines on the synthetic turf, a 45,000 square foot video board that takes up most of the outfield wall, two trucking containers that are listed as 19 feet, 19 inches (a nod to the founding year of the Green Bay Packers), but it’s 22 feet high, and there is only 19 feet from the backstop to the first row of seats in the grandstand. There is still a smell of paint in the stadium that fills the air, numerous activities for the kids, and there are plenty of regional items at the concession stand. The most distinct is booyah, a chicken stew popular in town that shares its name with the ball club. There is also a 2,000-gallon booyah kettle located at the third base entrance of the stadium. After three seasons, new ownership changed the name of the ball club to the Rockers. The decision to rebrand appeared to be a connection between Boomerang Management, who also owns the ballpark and nearby EPIC Events Center, to create a synergy between the two venues. The new events center houses a lot of concerts and there may be a few performances at the ballpark as well. That could easily be sustainable because Capital Credit Union Park is not your average ballpark. It features a synthetic turf, a short distance to right field, and a small set of seating rows. It is easily adaptable to football games, soccer matches, and a few concerts. It is loved by the casual fan or loathed by the baseball purist. However, let’s find out more about the home of the Green Bay Rockers. Food & Beverage 4 There are two main concession stands located in the stadium offering an array of traditional ballpark food but plenty of regional items and local beers. The cup of booyah is probably the item worth checking out first. It’s homemade by the club’s chef and features chicken, potatoes, and vegetables in a deeply rich broth. It’s also served on the booyah burger and poutine. A more widely known area delicacy is fried cheese curds, brats, and chicken brats. There are also the classics: hot dogs, burgers, and loaded nachos. Fans have the option of paying a small fee to include a drink and fries or chips with any sandwich. Behind home plate is Backstop Barbecue, a portable stand that features pulled chicken and pork sandwiches along with mac and cheese. Fans can enjoy mac and cheese and one of the pulled meats in a baseball helmet. The beer selection includes 16 and 32-ounce domestic beers. Imports and craft beers will fetch $6 for a 16-ounce pint. The two craft beer brands are nearby Badger State Brewing Company and Stillmank Brewing Company. Fans can enjoy Green Chop IPA, Wisco Disco, WI Bien Mexican Lager from Stillmank or BRW-SKI, Buzzy Badger Coffee Ale, and Walloon Witbier from Badger State. Atmosphere 4 The ballpark is full of interesting and distinct features that set it apart from any other facility in the league. The main entrance is located on the third base side where the official team store is located; fans walk up a small set of stairs to the main concourse where there are small portable stands and tabletop seating chairs. The grandstand is only seven rows deep and extends from the right to the left field line. Home plate is 19 feet feet from the first rows of seats and it almost feels like you can get your glove out and call a few pitches. Down the right field line is the Bud Light Bleachers where a few taps or beers are available for the fans. Behind the left field wall are berm seats for 687 fans and a kids' zone with inflatable rides. Two trucking shipment containers are stacked on each other in the right field corner that houses a hand-operated scoreboard and room for advertisements. The containers were selected for both their affordability and resistance to wind. Just to the left of them is the massive video board that broadcasts more advertisements in vivid color and player information. It dominates the stadium’s outfield wall and is the focal point in the yard. The official team store offers a plethora of merchandise from team jerseys, to t-shirts, and caps. Compared to other Northwoods League ballparks, this is pristine with official jerseys only selling for $30–that also includes the club away lumberjack design tops. The stadium also houses a club level above the backstop concourse that has 288 exterior seats and 16-person suites. Food and drink are available for patrons who opt for this ticket pricing point and include at times brisket, mac and cheese, fried fish, and a much smaller kettle of the team’s homemade booyah. Neighborhood 4 Capital Credit Union Park is located in the town of Ashwaubenon on the outskirts of Green Bay on Holmgren Way, just a little over a mile from Lambeau Field. The club does not play at the same time as the Packers, but Lambeau is not a ghost town during the summer. The facility is home to the Packers Hall of Fame, stadium tours, 1919 Grill and Taproom, and one of the largest fan shops in the NFL. Adjacent to the stadium is Titletown, a community development that features places to eat, drink, and play games. The area offers a large grass hill that kids enjoy rolling down on during the summer months and a massive playground and replica football field. The sprawling community is expanding and within a few years will offer residential homes, lodging, and more businesses. Kroll’s West is known for the best burgers and their version of booyah, the Badger State Brewing Company offers a large open green space with games, and the Green Bay Distillery features Wisconsin dishes in a family-friendly environment. If you have the chance, Booyah’s old ballpark is being utilized by the De Dere Dodgers of the Wisconsin State League. Joannes Stadium is located 5 miles away and features $3 ticket prices and $2.50 drafts of local beer. The club will rebrand to its original name the De Dere Blue Ribbons in 2020 and attract around 400-600 people per game. Fans 3 The Booyah attract crowds of 1,467 so far this season which is just below the league average and seventh in the league. The majority of the fans are at the ballpark enjoying the social aspect of the ballpark, getting the kids out for the night, or just checking out the nightly promotion. There is a lot outside the play on the field to keep them entertained and there are a few of them keeping their eye on the ball from their seats. Access 3 The stadium offers one main concourse that does not wrap around but offers enough room to move around to find your areas of need: bathrooms, exits, informational booths, and concession areas. Parking is located in the various business lots for free and usually houses a member of the Booyah staff directing motorists into a parking spot. Return on Investment 4 The cheapest ticket is $8 for the grass berm seating behind the left field wall. The tickets for the grandstand are either $12 or $15 and bleacher seating is $20. The club-level seats sell for $45 and offer a buffet table of food. The parking is free of charge, but the earlier you arrive the closer you will secure a close spot to the stadium. The price of a jersey is only $30 and concession items are reasonable. The beer batter promo offers half off beer during one inning of play. Extras 3 The Booyah receives a point for its interesting dimensions which feature a 22-foot-tall digital video wall, shipping containers, and a backstop that is only 19 feet from the first row of seats. The price of a jersey sells for $30 and that is more than half the price of similar jerseys sold at other league venues in the state. The team shop also houses an array of merchandise and styles. The homemade booyah is tasty and a must if you attend a game. A cup sells for $3 and is a perfect side dish to a sandwich or local craft beer. Final Thoughts Capital Credit Union Park is by far one of the most curious places to watch a baseball game during the summer months. Its design and features best suit a soccer match but it’s full of popular areas and affordable food and concessions items that make it a nice destination for fans in the area. Its colorful blue paint and catchy name should be a welcome destination for anybody looking for a night of baseball with friends or family. However, I am sure a few baseball purists would dissent to such a ballpark design. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Center Parc Stadium 755 Hank Aaron Dr SE Atlanta, GA 30315 Georgia State Panthers website Center Parc Stadium website Year Opened: 1996 Capacity: 24,333 Panthers Football What came to life in 1996 as the center of the sports world at the Centennial Olympic Games, then would next be transformed into Turner Field and home of the Atlanta Braves for the next 18 years, has found new life in the form of Center Parc Stadium, home of Georgia State Panthers football. Shortly after the Braves announced they were leaving downtown for the northwest suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia State University finalized a deal to purchase the property, with plans to develop the area into the new home of Georgia State football. Simply named “Georgia State Stadium" at first, it would be the third incarnation of the stadium. Since undergoing its most recent remodel, the newly branded Center Parc Stadium has been home to not just Georgia State football, but also the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, the Atlanta Legends of the now defunct American Association of Football, and the Georgia High School Association annual state football championship games. Food & Beverage 3 Food and drink options inside the stadium are much as what would be expected at most any stadium in the country – hot dogs, burgers, pretzels, nachos, pizza, cotton candy, and soda. Alcohol selections include seltzers ($11), premixed canned spirit drinks ($12), wine by the glass ($9) or carafe ($34), and what was termed “Adult Capri Sun” ($14), a large bag of a spiked, fruity concoction. Beer selections include choices from the Budweiser and Yuengling families of beers, ranging from a $6 value beer to $11 for 24 oz domestics. Local brewery Three Taverns also has a handful of kiosks around the stadium that offer some of their craft beers. The most popular food choice at Center Parc Stadium seems to be the rather non-descript, candy striped food truck parked near the main entry plaza, specializing in fried foods: funnel cake, three types of corn dogs, and what appeared to be the most popular option, chicken tenders with tots served with “Magic Sauce”. As it turns out, “Magic Sauce” is a spicy sweet-n-sour sauce. It was decent, but at $18 not necessarily considered a must have. Prices at Center Parc Stadium are consistent with expected prices at most other stadiums. In general they are about twice what you might expect to pay if the offerings were not at the stadium. With numerous concessions stands and standalone food and drink kiosks, lines are commonly short and there is not a lot of wait time. Atmosphere 3 One does not need to look far to find the game-day atmosphere at Center Parc Stadium. Approximately two dozen tents dot the plaza area directly outside the main gates. In one location fraternities have their tents set up with music pumping, beer pong tables set up, and reveling in other similar tailgating activities. Nearby, alumni had their own tents set up with slightly more subdued events. This tailgating area is also the center of the pre-game Panther Walk which leads players into the stadium, while pep-squads lead fans in cheers and the band belts out the school fight song. Inside the gates, the transformation from Turner Field to Center Parc Stadium feels like a swinging pendulum. On one hand Georgia State has created a very cozy 24,000-seat football stadium that puts fans right on top of the action on the field. On the other hand, the rest of the stadium that once sat an additional 30,000 fans is still there, not used. It creates a sense of emptiness, even though what is available for football seating is close to two-thirds full. There are many other reminders of the stadium that once was, and it is difficult not to notice. The most glaring reminder is the empty steel framework that once supported stadium signage. It still does today, but the signs that are there now do not fit the framing and have an awkward look to them. Georgia State does a good job with game presentation – there is a good mix of the traditional sounds of a football game, from the marching band that is intertwined with piped in hype music that gets fans on their feet dancing. The train horn that blares throughout the game: to get the game started, after big plays, and when a stop is needed from the defense, adds nicely to the gameday ambiance. Something that seems to be missing was the lack of game statistics. Other than the score boards at each end of the stadium that give the score and down and distance, the large replay board was never used to show any type of statistics. It’s mostly showing the game that is going on right in front of you. It’s good for replays, but the lack of statistics seems like a missed opportunity for those who are into the analysis of the game. Neighborhood 3 The Summerhill neighborhood that surrounds Center Parc Stadium were all but deserted by the time the Braves left the area. The stadium was mostly surrounded by empty, weed-infested lots and homes which had been long neglected. As new housing started to rise out of what had been parking lots surrounding the stadium, new businesses did as well. Soon, what had once been a desert of pre- and post-game activity now has more choices than one could ever need. Halfway Crooks provides a “micro-gastro-brewery” vibe – their biergarten offers a variety of beer styles and an appetizer/sandwich centered food menu. Other new restaurants have popped up down Georgia Avenue and offer something for all pallets. Hot Dog Pete’s offers a wide variety of regional hot dogs and vegan options, Junior’s gives pizza options, and Woods Chapel has a boutique bar-b-cue feel. While there are many new, quality food options in the areas directly around the stadium, Daddy Dz BBQ Joynt , one of Atlanta’s best BBQ establishments, is just a mile away. From where the neighborhood once was to where it is today, there has been a 180-degree turnaround. There does seem to be a bit of a disconnect between the stadium and the newly established restaurants just outside the main gates, which did not have the feel of fans flocking to these establishments in anticipation of the Panther Walk prior to kick off. A downtown stadium seems to have a tougher time in creating a gameday feel than what one might expect to experience in a more traditional college town. Fans 3 The overall fan interest in Georgia State football seems to be a bit passive, but of the fans who are in attendance, they are actively engaged with the game. Fans crank up the volume when a 3rd -&-short stop is needed, even when not prompted to do so. With an undergraduate enrollment of just shy of 29,000, student attendance takes up of two-and-a-half of the end zone sections. Georgia State is largely a commuter campus with students coming from the surrounding communities for classes, so they don’t have a large on-campus student body given the size of their enrollment. This impacts their student attendance at games, which really goes a long way in creating a gameday atmosphere. Accessibility 4 Getting to Center Parc Stadium is very direct. Located right off Atlanta’s Downtown Connector (I-75/85), it is easily accessible by vehicle. Fans coming from the east or west can just as easily use Interstate 20. Multiple exits funnel to the parking lots just north of the stadium. For those who would rather take public transportation, Atlanta’s subway service MARTA has a Georgia State station which is a 1-mile, direct walk to the stadium. The challenge of getting back on to the highways that surround the stadium after the game is not as daunting as it once was. Just like any other downtown stadium though, the highways often are clogged with city traffic. Return on Investment 4 The basic ticket price is $20, which is one of the most affordable in the Sun Belt Conference. Parking at $15 is a tick higher than I’d consider ideal, but given the affordability of the ticket price it makes the overall cost very reasonable. Food and drink prices are comparable to what you’d expect to pay at most major sporting events. Extras 3 The large team shop is one of the first things that greets fans as they come through the gates into the plaza. It offers anything a fan might expect to find at the game. Pounce Town sits off to the left of the plaza, and provides a football themed activity area to help keep kids entertained, when the game itself might not be enough to sustain their attention. One of the most prominent traditions are the blasts of the train horn that sounds throughout the game. It serves to pump-up the crowd while paying homage to Atlanta history when it was nicknamed “Terminus”, as it was the end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. Atlanta United FC has a similar historic tie-in to the city’s railroad history with their driving of the golden spike prior to the start of their matches. Final Thoughts What Georgia State is trying to create in a game day atmosphere is difficult for a school in their shoes. Football, more-so than other college sports, tends to thrive on the game day feel in what might be considered college towns, meaning communities where the college or university is THE attraction. Being in downtown Atlanta that feel just isn’t there. The fact that the university made the investment into purchasing the stadium and surrounding area is evident they are willing to invest in the football program, but it lacks a true college football experience. The hardest thing Georgia State faces when it comes to the stadium is that it’s always going to be seen as Turner Field. Even the highway signs leading to the stadium still bare the name. There are just so many baseball memories tied to it Atlantans will always think of it as “The Ted”.

Photos by Google Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Vicarage Road Vicarage Rd Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0ER Watford FC website Vicarage Road website Year Opened: 1922 Capacity: 20,877 Up Close and Personal at Vicarage Road Vicarage Road is a stadium in the English town of Watford (Hertfordshire) in the greater London area. The nickname of the stadium is ‘The Vic’ and that name has been adopted by most of the Watford FC supporters. Since the completion of the new Sir Elton John Stand in 2014, the stadium offers seating for 20,877 spectators. Since 1922 Vicarage Road has been the home of Watford FC. The first match ever to be played at ‘The Vic’ was on the 30th of August 1922 against Millwall. Between 1997 and 2013 the stadium was shared with the rugby club Saracens. In January 2002 Watford became the owner of the stadium, but due to financial problems they had to sell the property, and the stadium was rented again. Thanks to donations from supporters and former owner Sir Elton John it was Watford FC took over the stadium again in September 2004. Vicarage Road has four different stands. The stadium has been rebuilt stand-by stand in the past three decades. The only two-tiered stand at The Vic is the Graham Taylor Stand, built in 1986, with a capacity of 5,771 seats. Behind the goals, you will find the Vicarage Road Stand (1992, 5,796 seats) and the Rookery Stand (1995, 6,960 seats). The newest stand is the Sir Elton John Stand which was opened in 2014. It is by far the smallest of the four stands with a capacity of just 3,100 seats. Food & Beverage 4 The stadium offers a wide range of food selections that have improved in recent years and you will find your basic everyday football snacks along with some local traditional dishes. The prices are a little bit higher compared to other venues in the league ranging from £4.50 to £7.50 The hot food includes a wide selection of pies from the traditional steak, chicken balti, and butter and bean. There are also vegetarian pies and vegan pasties, sausage rolls, hot dogs, and cheeseburgers; fans can add chili or barbecue chicken toppings to their hot dogs and burgers for an additional price. The variety continues with pie, mash, and gravy along with hot sub rolls, and chicken or beef curry served with rice and naan bread. Southern fried chicken and chips, vegetarian Jackfruit curry, and chips with cheese or chili or barbecue chicken are also available at the concession stands. As with any other venue in the league, fans can pick up a bag of crisps or confectionaries for a small price. The stadium offers is tea, coffee, and hot chocolate for those colder games along with soft drinks and water. All draft pints and red ales are £5 with half-pints fetching £2.80. Carlsberg and Somerby’s bottles sell for £5.20 and the wine sells for £6.20. Fans can also get pre-mix spirits and mixers for £6.20 served in the Vbar only. Atmosphere 4 As you might expect of a ground having one of the smallest seating capacities in the league, the inside of the stadium feels compact. Whilst empty, all seats inside the stadium are in the club colours: red, black, and yellow. There’s very little room beyond the sidelines and behind the goals which gives Vicarage Road an intimate character. The stands (which are almost fully enclosed) are right on top of the field making Watford fans feel like they are truly part of the action. The home fans are housed in the Rookery Stand and are most vocal in this part of the ground. The away supporters are located at the Vicarage Road Stand of the stadium. The Rookery Stand includes both restaurants the View and the Gallery along with matchday offices. The Graham Taylor Stand includes the Sir Elton John suite along with restaurants Horizons, the Grill, and the Carbon. The Sir Elton John Stan is home to a sensory room for fans on the spectrum along with the Hornets Shop team store. The Vicarage Road Stand is home to both the family stand and visitor supporter section. The 100-page program sells for £3.50. Neighborhood 2 Vicarage Road borders residential homes at the Watford General Hospital and does not feature the abundance of watering holes and restaurants that some fans might be abundant accustomed to at other grounds in the league. However, there are few places to grab a pint of a bite to eat before or after the game that is within reasonable distance by foot or near mass transportation stations. O’Neill’s, formerly The Flag, is near the Watford Junction Station and is home to a large outside seating area that is perfect early in the season. They also have a large selection of beer and a great food menu. The Mood Under Water is a casual eatery with small plates and local cuisine. The No. 8 Red Lion is the closest pub to the grounds. The Horn offers live music and an outdoor patio, and The Oddfellows is ideal for a pint or two. The Warner Bros Studio Tour offers tours of actual film sets and learn the special effects tricks used in the Harry Potter films. The Lincolnsfields Children’s Centre is home to the Forties Experience, an exhibit with 1940s artifacts, period decor & music, open to the public one Sunday per month. Fans 4 The nickname of the Watford fans is ‘The Hornets’ and their club mascot is Harry the Hornet. During the 2014-2015 season in the Championship Watford had an average home gate of around 17,500, but will surely sell out every home game in the Premier League. Their rivals are Luton Town, but they are playing in League Two at the moment. The closest Premier League ground to Vicarage Road is White Hart Lane, home of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Access 3 Driving by car to the stadium is easily reached via the M25 ring road London (exit 5 of the junction M1 motorway). Upon entering the town via the city center it will take less than 10 minutes to get to the stadium. There is no parking on the grounds and street parking is restricted for on which residents on match day. Waterford town center does have several car parks including Church Car Park, Gade Car Park, and Sutton Car Park which are all within a 10-minute walk of Vicarage Road. Watford High Street is a 10-minute walk Watford Junction is a 20-minute walk in the metropolitan line of the London Underground and is 10 to 20 minutes and one mile from the stadium. Return on Investment 3 Prices at Vicarage Road vary from £32 for a seat behind one of the goals ends, to £32 for the Sir Elton John Stand and £38 for the Graham Taylor Stand with concessions for O.A.P’s and under 16’s. We find these ticket prices quite expensive for attending a football match in the second-highest league of English football. Extras 3 The club offers stadium tours, but there are many more interesting grounds in the greater London area. The Vicarage Road stadium has also a club shop (which is located inside the Vicarage Road Stand). second-highestoffersMatchday programmes are on sale for every game priced at GBP 3.00. We were fortunate enough to be at the match where fans ran onto the pitch after the team secured their promotion to Premier League status, adding to our particular experience. Final Thoughts Watford fans are great and this is a nice stadium overall The grounds are at near capacity crowds that are up close and personal to the players on the pitch. The cheering echoes throughout the stands and the atmosphere is full of history at the facility that blends both modern and classic styles.

Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Globe Life Park in Arlington 1000 Ballpark Way Arlington, TX 76011 Texas Rangers website Globe Life Park in Arlington website Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 48,114 Globe Life Park’s Final Season Globe Life Park, originally called the Ballpark in Arlington, has been the Texas Rangers’ home since 1994. On April 11 of that year, a sold-out crowd of 49,119 witnessed the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers in their brand-new ballpark. The Ballpark was a welcome sight, replacing the old minor league stadium turned MLB venue, Arlington Stadium. The new ballpark was designed to be retro-style, incorporating features of baseball’s classic ballparks. The right field Home-Run Porch was designed in honor of the old Detroit Tigers Stadium, while the white steel frieze that surrounds the upper deck was from pre-1973 Yankee Stadium . The out of town manual scoreboard was taken from Fenway Park , the non-symmetry was classic Ebbets Field, and arched windows come from the White Sox’ previous field Comiskey Park. The Rangers added their own unique features in Greene’s Hill, a sloped section of grass beyond center field to be used as the batter’s eye and named after former Arlington mayor Richard Greene. The signature office spaces complete the center field corner of the ballpark. The Ballpark has changed over the past 25 years with renovations, but for the most part has remained true to its original state. There have been four name changes over the years, although local fans still use the original name or call it Rangers Ballpark. Globe Life Park has become the home that the Texas Rangers envisioned when it opened in 1994. Since the ballpark opened, the Rangers have won seven division titles and two American League Championships. Four of the five players that have worn the retired Rangers uniforms called Globe Life Park home. There was also an All-Star game here in 1995, Kenny Rodgers’ perfect game, Rafael Palmiero’ s 500th home run, and Adrian Beltre’s 3,000th hit, although arguably the biggest moment ever here was the last out in the American League Championship Series versus the New York Yankees; Neftali Feliz’s strikeout of Alex Rodriquez to send the Rangers to their first World Series in 2010. The Ballpark has hosted numerous events besides Rangers baseball. The Big 12 Baseball Tournament was held inside the ballpark in 2002 and 2004, and other local college baseball teams from the University of Texas-Arlington and Texas Christian University have played regular season games inside the Globe. The 2019 season at Globe Life Park is the Final Season for Texas Rangers baseball here, as the Texas Rangers and their fans will soon move into their newly updated ballpark, Globe Life Field. Globe Life Field will provide the Texas Rangers and their fans with the most updated amenities – the new facility will have a retractable roof for those brutal summer temperatures in North Texas, the field will be turf instead of grass, and the safety netting will extend down the foul lines. In addition, the new Texas Live! will bring outside atmosphere to the new ballpark that was lacking during the warehouse days. Food & Beverage 5 The Texas Rangers and Delaware North Sportservice are pioneers in the improvement of not only Globe Life Park but all sport venue food services, leading the rest of Major League Baseball in upgrading its game menus to be more than just traditional hot dogs and ballpark nachos. Although the nachos staple was introduced to the sports world by the Texas Rangers at the old Arlington Stadium, that same company, Ricos, continues to provide the chips and has a production plant nearby Globe Life Park. Besides nachos, the Texas Rangers in 2015 unleashed the Boomstick – a two-foot-long hot dog slathered in chili and cheese that costs $27. The Rangers have made unveiling new concessions offering an annual tradition; last year the Dilly Dog (a hot dog nestled inside a cored-out dill pickle and fried in corn dog batter) was the headliner for $10, and this final season highlighted a 2-lb chicken strip, vegan offerings including a burger and street tacos, and the visually striking RWB dog – a ballpark frank lined with red and blue relish. Next season, the Rangers and Delaware North Sportservice will continue to be together; this agreement will carry over the menu from Globe Life Park and create new opportunities. The biggest announcement showing that these two identities will continue in creating a better food and beverage atmosphere for fans is from Delaware North general manager Casey Rapp. He mentioned that the upper deck food options at the current Globe Life Park are “pretty generic” – in the new ballpark however, he said the food options will be more diverse. Baseball and food lovers should be prepared for the Globe Life Field food options as being the best in baseball starting in 2020. Although the food menu here is creative and pricey, Globe Life Park has plenty of the normal stadium food fare, with plenty of options on every level of the stadium. There is barbecue, burgers, pizza, garlic fries, and chicken tenders, but visitors who want to visit the Texas State Fare stand can also get deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies among other items; some of these food items are in the $10 to $25 range, and this is where the Dilly Dog was offered to fans. Globe Life Park allowed outside food and drink items, however, rumors have it that this will no longer be in place for Globe Life Field. Overall, Globe Life Park provides the best food options in Major League Baseball – the only problem is that they came needing a Texas-sized wallet. Texas-Sized Food at Globe Life Park, Photo by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey Atmosphere 4 There is no doubt that Globe Life Park is a great venue for baseball; the groups of Rangers fans entering through the large red-brick facades and trellises hanging from the rooftop bring memories of the ballparks of old. Also, the large concourses with murals of past Rangers players generally bring a great energy of anticipation, and when there are large crowds the atmosphere is one of the best in sports. The fans that arrive early as the gates open have plenty of things to do – the large pro shop in centerfield is a good place to start, or get a table inside the air-conditioned Rebecca Creek Saloon next door. Or, just outside both the pro shop and restaurant, fans can take photos with a statue of Nolan Ryan. There is also something special in hearing the Rangers PA announcer Chuck Morgan announce, “It’s Baseball Time in Texas”; this is one of the sweetest things to hear in the ballpark. Chuck will continue to be the PA Voice of the Rangers at Globe Life Field. Besides Chuck Morgan, the Rangers employ in-game entertainment with the Texas Six Shooters, a group of young ladies that send t-shirts into the crowd, wave Texas flags after a Rangers score on Greene’s Hill in centerfield, and dance to Cotton Eye Joe on the dugout during the 7th inning stretch. In addition, the team’s mascot, Ranger Captain, a horse in a Rangers uniform, is visible throughout the ballpark and the community; these will continue when the Rangers move to Globe Life Field next year. But overall the atmosphere depends on the fans, and there have been plenty of games where the atmosphere has been the best and then stale later. Nevertheless, the memories at Globe Life Park are second to none for Rangers fans, and that means a better atmosphere than most MLB ballparks. Neighborhood 3 The immediate neighborhood around Globe Life Park is warehouses, office building, and parking lots – anything outside of those was on the outskirts, on the other side of AT&T Stadium on Collins Street. There is no public transportation in the city of Arlington so there is plenty of foot traffic, but no nearby gathering places until last year when Texas Live! opened across the street. Texas Live! is a $250 million world class dining entertainment district which opened in 2018 across from Globe Life Park – this entertainment venue will become an extension for the Rangers’ new home Globe Life Field which is set to open in March 2020. There are plenty of food and drink options inside Texas Live! such as Lockhart Smoke House, PBR Texas, Pudge’s Pizza, and Troy’s, as well as the outdoor concert venue Arlington Backyard. In addition, Loews Hotel opened in August 2019, providing a close luxury hotel besides the Sheraton-Arlington. If you prefer to be away from the congestion of Collins Street, but still want to find a couple of restaurants that would be a good pre or postgame hangout, you can visit the old downtown area of Arlington between E. Abram Street and E. Division St, only a couple of miles from AT&T Stadium. In this small area there are plenty of options such as Flying Fish, Twisted Root Beer Company, J Gilligan’s Bar and Grill, Babe’s Chicken, and Grease Monkey Burger Shop. There are also two local craft breweries to visit here as well; Legal Draft Beer Company and Division Brewing. Globe Life Park is in the Arlington Entertainment District which consists of Six Flags over Texas, Hurricane Harbor, and the Dallas Cowboys’ ATT Stadium. Fans 3 Texas will always be a football state. However, there are plenty of Rangers fans that come out to the ballpark, and just like most baseball fans, to be a constant force for 81 game seasons depends a lot on how the team plays on the field. The cliché that everyone loves a winner is true – the Texas Rangers attendance was the highest the season after the team won back to back American League Championships. Yet, the final season of the Ballpark brought in 16K less per game, and the MLB scheduler didn’t help the Rangers either, scheduling the popular teams like the Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and New York Yankees on days that could have brought in the same number of fans, giving the other lower games a higher attendance rate. There are those loyal Rangers fans that have been coming out since Arlington Stadium in the 70s, however, and Globe Life Park is “a cathedral”, a word used by former President and Texas Rangers owner George W Bush. The Texas weather was a mighty deterrent though for fans during those afternoon day games, but for the fans that did show up you see a ton of team apparel – Rangers red, white, and blue being heavily present; Texas Rangers jerseys, shirts, and caps are everywhere. Rangers fans are also vocal and supportive, and become some of the best in baseball – just ask the fans that have experienced Rangers playoff games, or those back-to-back American League Championship years. Access 3 Globe Life Park in Arlington is easily accessible off Interstate 30, and between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is only 15-20 minutes away. The constant killer on access is the lack of public transportation; Arlington, Texas is the largest populated city in the state that does not have good public transportation for its citizens. This leads to ridesharing ($25 Uber ride from DFW), or taxis and rental cars. The good news for drivers, however, is that there is plenty of signage leading up to the park from the highway. Parking is ample around the field, with prices ranging from $10 to $40. For fans staying in the area around the ballpark, however, there is the Arlington Trolley, which makes stops at nearly all the hotels in and around Globe Life Park in Arlington, and shuttles you from attraction to attraction and back again. Return on Investment 5 The 2019 Texas Rangers average ticket was $54, which ranks them in the lower 1/3 of MLB pricing charts. Single game tickets start as low as $17 for upper level seating and can run as high as $300 for the Commissioner boxes near the infield. That said, the secondary market is a great place to look for those non-premier games during the week, where tickets can be found for as low as $10 including fees. The prices are sure to increase next season with the move to Globe Life Field, and the option of bringing your own food and drinks may also change. Globe Life Park is a gorgeous and perfect venue for baseball; the ROI here for the Rangers continues to be the best option when compared to the other sports teams in the DFW area. Extras 5 Arlington’s “Cathedral for Baseball” gave millions of Rangers fans 26 seasons of incredible memories; the ballpark’s infrastructure is one that truly represents the state of Texas and is one of the best in sports. A main concern for the future of Globe Life Park is because of the architectural masterpiece that has been a staple in Arlington for almost 3 decades. The ballpark has been renovated inside many times over the years to provide fans different amenities, and the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame near centerfield was a staple that provided the history of Rangers baseball as well as an educational place for young campers during the summer. The Rangers, the innovator of the original dot on the old Arlington Stadium videoboard, changed to live human dots, Texas Legends, and mini dots. The creation of Texas Live!, the new mixed-use entertainment complex which opened last year, also brought a better atmosphere to Globe Life Park on game days, and will continue into the future at Globe Life Field. Final Thoughts The erection of Globe Life Park revitalized baseball in North Texas. Although, the Texas Rangers were playing two decades prior to Globe Life Park, the Texas Rangers weren’t a national interest in baseball outside of the Dallas – Fort Worth area. There are many die-hard fans that loved Arlington Stadium, but realized that the new ballpark in Arlington would give the Texas Rangers instead credibility, among the other MLB ballparks and fans. For a quarter-century, Globe Life Park did more than just make baseball in North Texas creditable. Globe Life Park became place that represented the very heart of all Texans. Although, many fans will enjoy the new amenities of Globe Life Field, it will always be bittersweet not being in Globe Life Park. Final Opening Day 2019, Photo by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey

Photos by Paul Swaney, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Taffy Abel Ice Arena 1000 College Dr Sault Ste Marie, MI 49783 Lake Superior State Lakers website Taffy Abel Ice Arena website Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 3,880 Hockey by the Lake Lake Superior State University, located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has an enrollment of about 3,000 students. They are one of the smaller schools in Division I hockey, and in 1988, they did the impossible. That Lakers team, led by the goaltending of Bruce Hofford, became the smallest school to win the NCAA hockey championship. Even more remarkably, the school was able to win championships again in 1992 and 1994. Those banners hang proudly in Taffy Abel Arena alongside two NAIA championship banners (1972 and 1974), but the program has lost some of its success in recent years. However, hockey is still very much in the blood of this town and the university’s students. Taffy Abel Arena, named for Sault Ste. Marie native Clarence “Taffy” Abel, is a part of the larger James Norris Physical Education Center. The Center also includes the basketball arena, the Ronald “Bud” Cooper Gymnasium. Food & Beverage 4 If you have ever been to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, then you probably have had a pasty, which is basically personal-sized meat and vegetable pie. The pasty on the menu at Taffy Abel Ice Arena may not be the best you have ever had, but it’s certainly a unique local addition to the menu. Outside of the pasty, it’s a pretty basic menu at Lakers games. Pizza, hot dogs, nachos ($3.50), popcorn ($2), and soft pretzels ($2) are on the menu, just like you’ll find at most arenas. Coca-Cola is the soft drink provider with fountain drinks available ($2), as well as energy drinks ($2.75), water ($2.25) and juice. Coffee, hot chocolate, and hot cider ($1.50) are on hand if you want to warm up. Unlike many college arenas, beer is also available for $3.50, discounted to $3 for each additional beer you order. Atmosphere 3 Your first impression of the seating area may be that it looks a little bit like it was sponsored by IKEA. The bright royal blue and “gold” (which is really yellow) is omnipresent throughout the arena. That impression aside, it really is a comfortable little arena. Fans will find comfortable blue plastic seats with above-averageno-frillsleg room, although there are no cup holders. Because this is a border town with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario you will hear O Canada and the Star Spangled Banner before every home game, something that makes the experience feel somewhat exotic if you’re not from the area. The team benches are on opposite sides of the ice, something that is fairly common in college hockey. If you want to sit behind the visiting team, then section D will be where you want to aim, or section P to sit behind the home side. A small pep band does its best from one corner of the arena to interject some energy into the game, but they end up being just a little too small to make a real noticeable difference in the atmosphere. The scoreboard is small and basic, with only essential information and no video capabilities. Overall, it is a no frills presentation when you go to a Lake Superior State hockey game. That can either be a huge plus, or a slight drawback depending on how much the hockey purity appeals to you as a fan. Neighborhood 3 With a population of just over 14,000 (2010 census), Sault Ste. Marie is certainly a small town, but there are a few places worth checking out while in downtown, which is about a five minute drive from the LSSU campus. Huge ships pass through the Soo Locks, the busiest canal in the world as far as the weight that passes through it. It is an amazing sight to see a five-minute1,000-foot-long boat pass by the town of mostly two-story buildings. The main downtown drag is Portage Avenue. Soo Brewery is a great spot for travelers who like to sample local beers on their sports trips, with 10 locally made beers on tap ($3.50 a pint). Next door is Maloney’s, where you can find a sandwich, burgers, good fish and chips, or the odd Mexican dish. There are several TVs and a pool table here as well, and 10 beers on tap. Further down the street is The Alpha, a slightly more divey bar, with $2 drafts if you’re merely looking to belly up to the bar before or after a game. The Antlers Restaurant is a local landmark, and any fan of taxidermy should be sure to stop in for a meal and a chance to see more than 200 mounted animals. The Ramada Plaza Hotel Ojibway is located on the same downtown stretch and has reasonable rates of about $100 a night in a perfect location for fans who may be coming in for a weekend of hockey. Fans 3 Lake Superior State averages about 2,000 fans per game at Taffy Abel Arena, ranking them in the bottom third for Division I college hockey. The pep band and student section are both small and disappointing, hurting the overall atmosphere somewhat. Fans no doubt love hockey in this area, and they are a knowledgeable bunch, but they are lacking that extra level which could make this arena a tough place to play. Access 4 Taffy Abel Ice Arena is a part of the larger James Norris Physical Education Building, which houses Cooper Gymnasium where the basketball and volleyball teams of Lake Superior State play. It’s a large building with a very large parking lot. Parking is free, and getting in or out of the arena is no trouble at all, as there is plenty of personnel to guide you to your parking space, and to ease the egress of traffic afterward. Inside the arena, it is a little tricky. A walk around the entire arena will take you up and down as you alternate between walking beneath the stands or around the seats. In some places, the concourse can be rather narrow, and if it is a full house, then the lines for the concessions can obstruct the walkways during intermissions. The restrooms are of adequate size and are clean. Return on Investment 5 Single-game tickets are only $12 for adults or $6 for all of those aged 18 or under. Students and kids under 18 can purchase a full season ticket for $95, while non-student adults will pay $199 for a full slate of games. With few other sports options, I would think that anyone who could afford it would spring for a season ticket, although single games are certainly reasonably priced. Add in parking, a drink, and a pasty, and you’ll still spend less than $20 on a Division I hockey game. It is a great bargain. Extras 3 The chance to sit beneath three championship banners certainly adds to the experience and is worth an extra point. Seamore the Sea Duck, makes his rounds throughout the crowd. He covers a lot of territory during the contest, seemingly giving every fan a chance to interact with this big blue-clad bird. One final extra point for all of the displays of the hockey past of Lake Superior State. There is also a jersey of every former player to have made it to the NHL, a chance for fans to reminisce about former players and dream of current players making their way to the top level of hockey. Final Thoughts Just an hour north of the iconic Mackinac Bridge, Lake Superior State is the most accessible of the Upper Peninsula college hockey venues for hockey fans in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Combine a trip to LSSU with a stop on historic Mackinac Island during the early part of the season (October). For residents of the Upper Peninsula or across the International Bridge to Ontario, you will certainly get your money’s worth if you go to see a game at Taffy Abel Ice Arena.

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 Carson Park 100 Carson Park Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 Eau Claire Express website Carson Park website Year Opened: 1937 Capacity: 3,800 An Old Classic in Eau Claire Baseball has been played at Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in some form or another since 1937. Located in a scenic park on a peninsula on Half Moon Lake, Carson Park seats 3,800 fans and is currently home to the Eau Claire Express of the summer collegiate Northwoods League. The stadium previously hosted affiliated minor league baseball with the Eau Claire Bears (later known as the Braves) of the Northern League from 1937 until 1962, excluding a few years during World War II. Hank Aaron played here during that time, and famous Express alumni include Kole Calhoun and Jordan Zimmerman. Food & Beverage 4 There are several identical concession windows on the concourse behind home plate underneath the grandstand. Meals include classic options like burgers, hot dogs, brats, chicken strips, and a pulled pork sandwich. Snacks include all the usual classics like French fries, cotton candy, popcorn, and more, plus the Upper Midwest Classic of deep-fried cheese curds, which will be a unique item for fans visiting the area but are a standard concession item in this part of the country. Bottled water and fountain soda are also available at this concession stand. The prices are affordable, with most things under $5 and everything $7 or less. There is a separate stand on the concourse closer to first base which sells beer, including the custom beer of the Northwoods League, Five Tool Ale. A cart inside the seating area sells snacks so fans can buy from there without missing any of the game if that’s all they want. The box seats also come with waiter service so fans sitting there can order from their seat and have them brought to them. Atmosphere 5 Just walking up to Carson Park can give you a sense of how old this place is. The tan exterior just has those old-time ballpark vibes, and once you get in, you get even more of a classic stadium sense. Like many of the ballparks of its era, there is a covered grandstand behind home plate with a few rows of chairback box seats close to the field and some traditional bleachers further down the line. Although a couple of large sets of bleachers are visible beyond the left field fence in fair territory, these are part of the football stadium next door and are not part of the baseball stadium. A scoreboard in right-center field shows the linescore and other basic information. In terms of the other goings-on at Carson Park, they rival if not exceed the atmosphere at many minor league games. There are on-field contests or other antics during many inning breaks and music is played between almost every pitch. The songs range from your usual country music to more unusual selections like “C is for Cookie” and the “Campfire Song Song” from SpongeBob. There are also numerous promotional nights to encourage fans to show up, ranging from the Zooperstars to Willy Wonka Night. The Express also has a mascot named Trax, who is supposed to be a railroad engineer but more closely resembles a terrifying abomination of some sort. Then again, he’s so terrifying and unique that it’s kind of cool. Neighborhood 3 Carson Park is a scenic park, also known as Carson Park, on a peninsula in Half Moon Lake. Other attractions in the park include a playground and several museums. If you want to head into the main part of Eau Claire, you will find many more options along Menomonie Street right by the stadium. The Roadside Ice Cream and Diner is right by the entrance to the park and serves great ice cream and comfort food. Valley Burger Company is just down the road, as is the Eau Claire Ale House. There are plenty of hotels to stay at in the area as well. This is your typical Upper Midwest town, nothing more, nothing less. Fans 3 The Express draw reasonably well and while they rarely sell out, there will still be many fans in the seats. Those in attendance are knowledgeable not just about the Express but about all the teams in the Northwoods League and are both friendly and extremely passionate about their team. It can get somewhat loud at times but is always family-friendly. The crowd here tends to skew older than many stadiums, with a lot of fans who have been following the team for years, but there are a good number of young families as well. Access 2 The stadium Carson Park is in a park of the same name, which is on a peninsula, so you will likely access it from the mainland via Menomonie Road, which is the local name for US 12. If coming from out of town, you will take Interstate 94, then exit and drive several miles to the stadium. There is a spacious lot next to the stadium which also serves other areas of the park, and then you will walk up a ramp to the entry plaza. Getting around the stadium is a bit complex, with multiple areas that have been built over the years, and it’s not always signed well where to go, although the staff will be happy to help you if necessary. There are restrooms on the third base end of the concourse which can get a bit crowded at times, especially between innings, but the wait is never too long, just a bit cramped. Return on Investment 4 Tickets start at $9 for general admission seating in the bleachers down the line. Reserved seats in the grandstand cost $11, while box seats closer to the field cost $14. These prices are about what you’d pay for a minor league game, maybe a little less, but the experience here is comparable to minor league games, so it’s still a good value. Concessions are pretty affordable, and parking is free, so an Express game is a pretty good deal. Extras 5 Look for the Hank Aaron statue and Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame on the entrance plaza outside the stadium. Each of these is worthy of a star. There are free programs and roster sheets on the concourse. Check out the Carson Park history banner on the concourse down the right field line. Finally, there is a play area for kids in left field. Final Thoughts Carson Park is certainly an old stadium, but old does not mean bad in this case, just historic. Although the stadium no longer meets the ever-increasing standards to host affiliated minor league baseball, the fan experience here is comparable to what you would see at a professional stadium. Baseball fans in the Chippewa Valley region of Wisconsin and the surrounding area should check out the Express here in Eau Claire. Carson Park is a great place to check out a ballgame on a nice summer night.

Photos by Jared Goodman, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Jerry Richardson Stadium 8701 Phillips Rd Charlotte, NC 28223 Charlotte 49ers website Jerry Richardson Stadium website Year Opened: 2013 Capacity: 15,314 Sitting on a Gold Mine The University of North Carolina at Charlotte didn’t have a football program until 2008. That’s when the Board of Trustees commissioned a new team for the school, along with a brand-new $45 million stadium. This venue would soon be named for local benefactor and former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. The Charlotte 49ers, who began play in the fall of 2013, joined the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2015 after a two-year stint in FCS. Charlotte now competes in Conference USA, and it’s quickly become clear that their 15,314-seat facility is one of the best in the conference. Food & Beverage 4 Richardson Stadium offers dishes from two of the region’s most popular chicken chains: Bojangles’ and Chick-fil-A. The prices at both of these booths are pretty fair, though slightly inflated. For example, a box of Bojangles’ chicken supremes is $8. Among some of the more traditional items are hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, grilled chicken, corn dogs, pretzels, and peanuts. But the highlight of the dining experience at the stadium is undoubtedly the barbecue sandwich. This is Carolina, after all, so be sure to grab one for $6 during your visit. Fair foods such as funnel cakes and cotton candy are also available. Coca-Cola is the beverage served throughout and is priced at $3. Or, you can buy a souvenir cup for $5 and get free refills all day long. Bottled water is $3.50. Domino’s Pizza is also offered, along with stadium staple Dippin’ Dots. Atmosphere 3 The color green is extremely prevalent on the UNC-Charlotte campus, from the trees of late summer to the seats at Jerry Richardson Stadium and beyond. On football Saturdays, a few thousand folks show up to the field decked in their 49er green best. After each Charlotte score, green fireworks are set off from the field house behind the southeast end zone. This definitely contributes to the “flare” of The Mine. The 49ers’ mascot, Norm the Niner, also makes regular appearances both in the stands and on the field. The intimacy of Jerry Richardson Stadium really adds to its small town feel, despite being located near the 16th largest city in the country. The venue’s horseshoe shape provides an excellent view of the surrounding buildings on campus, creating a sort of homey and academic atmosphere. This, however, isn’t a permanent feature, as the stadium is designed in such a way that the seating bowl can be expanded and decks added as the program grows. Neighborhood 4 The Niners home field is located on the west side of campus, near the other athletic facilities at the university. If you want to explore anything in the general vicinity, it’s generally just a short walk away. It’s an even shorter drive to the nearby restaurants and shops, which mostly include chain retailers on Tryon Street, University City Boulevard and JW Clay Boulevard. The region’s only IKEA store is just a few miles from campus and offers a full restaurant and snack bar in addition to the furniture goods on display. But perhaps the best perk of Richardson Stadium’s location on-campus is its proximity to the LYNX Light Rail system, which provides speedy service to Uptown Charlotte, the hip NoDa neighborhood, and the revitalized South End. All three offer a variety of dining and nightlife options just a 20-minute train ride from campus. The nearest stop, JW Clay Station, offers a 5-level parking deck for those wishing to drive, but is also easily accessible on foot via footpaths. From the stadium’s main gate, it’s a short 10-minute walk to the light rail platform. Fans 3 The Charlotte 49ers are not an elite football team by any measure, and often find themselves in the middle of the Conference USA rankings. This doesn’t give fans much to cheer about on game days, but the program is still in its youth. Pre-game, you’ll see lots of gold, black, and green outside the stadium in an impressive tailgating display. The smell of food wafts through the air just outside the main gate, surely stemming from one of the many tents set up nearby. Cornhole is a popular activity, as well as general mingling and socializing. It’s almost as if pre-gaming is just as important to the fans as the football game itself. While the crowd sticks with the team through thick and thin, they’re not usually loud or vivacious in any way. But you can be sure, whether the weather is good or whether the weather is bad, true Niners fans will cheer on their guys on the gridiron each and every Saturday. Access 3 Due to limited parking on campus, finding a spot to leave your car can be very tricky. Gameday permits are available for purchase in advance of the game, and are valid at the Union Deck, West Deck, North Deck, CRI Deck, Lot 11A/21 and Lot 25. There’s also a dedicated football shuttle, operated by Niner Transit, that has stops at the many different parking areas on campus. This bus service will take you directly to the main gate of Richardson Stadium if you choose to park in one of these lots. A word to the wise: do your parking research well in advance. If not, you could be stuck handing over $20 cash to park at the Cone Deck. UNCC is served, as mentioned earlier, by the LYNX Light Rail Blue Line, which has a stop at JW Clay Boulevard and is just a 10-minute walk away. The parking garage at this station is your best option for gameday parking, as it is both free and secure. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is about 20 minutes away by car and is serviced by most of the major North American airlines. Interstates 85, 485, and 77 are close to campus as well, providing access to Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Virginia in the north and Columbia, Greenville and Atlanta in the south. Return on Investment 3 Single-game ticket prices vary depending on the opponent and how far in advance you purchase your tickets. General admission seats are generally between $10-$25 and are located behind the northwest goalpost. If you’d like to sit on the sideline, expect to fork over between $20-$40 per ticket. Parking prices vary anywhere from $0 to $20, but it all depends on what lot you choose to use. Concessions are reasonably priced, but a full meal adds up fast. All totaled, you could be looking at $20 or more, per person. The Niners do have one interesting option that could save you some dough. The “Extra Point Package”, which includes four tickets, four meal vouchers and free parking, is occasionally available for $65. That’s a bargain when you add everything up. Without this package, a family of four could be looking at spending more than $200 on a single Niners game. Extras 2 Although it doesn’t have much to do with the stadium itself, the 49ers football team has earned an extra point for reaching the Bahamas Bowl in 2019. Despite losing their first-ever bowl game, their appearance in Nassau could mean that the program is trending upwards. This could result in a better gameday atmosphere, more fans, and an overall better experience in Charlotte down the road. While current attendance figures don’t demand a large venue, Richardson Stadium was built with the capability to be expanded up to a total capacity of about 40,000. A larger facility would be nice to see at some point in the future. Final Thoughts The ACC has dominated North Carolina in both basketball and football for a very long time. UNC-Charlotte is aiming to compete with this legendary powerhouse by putting both their school and Conference USA on the national map. With an infant football program and a modern stadium behind them, a gold mine of opportunities awaits the 49ers.

Photos by Paul Swaney, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71 Oestrike Stadium 2051 N Huron River Dr Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Eastern Michigan Eagles website Oestrike Stadium website Year Opened: 1971 Capacity: 2,500 Strike Out to Oestrike Stadium For more than 40 years, the Eastern Michigan Eagles have played their home baseball games at Oestrike Stadium. Like many collegiate venues, the stadium was named for a former coach, Ron Oestrike, who led the team from 1965-1987. The facility has undergone a series of renovations dating back to 2000 when lights were installed thanks to a donation from the William G. Clark Family. The Eagles won their inaugural night game against local rival Michigan on a walk-off home run by Nick Soliz. In 2007, the infield was replaced by Pro Grass , a synthetic surface that cuts down on the maintenance cost for the university, but also takes away from part of the splendor of baseball, most notably when someone silently slides into a base. In 2012, the stadium is getting a new brick exterior, which should add to the overall aesthetics of Oestrike Stadium. The stadium could also use a new scoreboard and some upgrades to the outfield wall. There were no dimensions posted on the wall, and nothing to brand the stadium in Eastern Michigan style. I have seen pictures in the past where they have hung banners for former greats like Bob Welch and Chris Hoiles, so that would be a good touch to bring back. All and all, this is a pleasant little facility to see a game, with a covered grandstand, and a team that is typically in competition for a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship. Food & Beverage 2 There is a lone concession cart on the first base side of Oestrike Stadium. Here you can find some basics to keep you sustained during the game. They have brats ($3), hot dogs ($2), popcorn ($2), candy ($1), and chips ($1). The popcorn was actually better than expected, and the brat was as well. For cold early season contests you can grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate ($1 each). Bottles of Pepsi products, Gatorade, and water are on hand as well ($2). Atmosphere 3 I started off a little disappointed with my visit as I arrived about 10 minutes before the scheduled starting time of 5pm, only to find out that the game had been pushed back an hour. I checked the team’s website that afternoon, so some better work by the EMU athletic department would have saved me an hour of sitting around unnecessarily, especially since I rushed through an early dinner in order to be at the game on time. Hopefully this is a rare occurrence and not the norm. All of the seating at Oestrike Stadium is metal bleachers, which are under a covered grand stand. It reminded me of a newer version of the classic Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana. There were also several fans standing along the right field line against the fence, a good view if you prefer to be on your feet. Screens completely cover the seating area, so I found myself among the standing fans down the line for much of the game. It’s an odd field with the synthetic surface on the infield, and real outfield grass juxtaposed. The pitching mound is also real dirt, but the home plate area is not. It is funny to see the batters dig in at the plate out of habit, but to no avail. The team has had success at times, with nine MAC Championships (most recently in 2008) and four MAC tournament championships. The sound system is decent, and there is an interesting quirk as the radio play-by-play announcer apparently doesn’t fit inside the press box, so you can hear much of his call during the game action, something I rather enjoyed. Neighborhood 3 Depot Town, located just a couple of miles away, is definitely the place to go for something to eat before or after a game. I have two favorites that I highly recommend. First is Sidetrack Bar & Grill, which has 26 beers on tap, including many local options. They also have very good burgers and sandwiches, salads, and your typical pub food. This is the more kid-friendly option of my two recommendations. My second recommendation is just across the street, Aubree’s. They have an outstanding selection of draft beers, including several local options. They have plenty of activities to keep you entertained including a pool table and trivia game. The food is decent, but nothing special. I tried their pizza as well, it has a buttery crust and a comforting greasy quality. Fans 2 There weren’t many people in attendance (maybe 100 people or so), and with the exception of one local and supportive fan sitting behind the home team dugout, they tended to be pretty quiet. In fact, the opposing fans outnumbered the home fans in attendance by my estimation. You’ll hear an eagle screech when the team scores, which is a rather irritating sound, but it seemed to be popular with those in attendance. Access 3 Parking is free, and can be found just across the street in the same lot used for football games at Rynearson Stadium. Restrooms unfortunately are in the form of two outhouse port-a-potties found behind home plate – not very appealing at all. I ended up not buying a bottle of water, just so I could avoid that experience. Return on Investment 4 There was no admission charge, and no charge for parking. It is very hard to argue with that. Concessions, while far from spectacular, were reasonably priced. You could easily bring a family of four to a game and pay under $20 even with a snack and drink for everyone. Extras 2 One extra point goes to what seems to be a tradition for the EMU Eagles baseball team. As the head coach (Jay Alexander) meets with the umpires and opposing coach to exchange lineups, the team assembles, almost as if they are going to take a team picture. When the coach is through, he runs over to the team and jumps into a collective chest bump. It was a lot of fun to see, and the Eagles do it on the road as well, as I had the opportunity to see them several times during the 2012 season. I’ll give another extra point to the efforts by the donors, alumni, and university to improve this facility. There are still more renovations to be done, but it is nice to see them invest in the baseball program. I am looking forward to making return visits to see Oestrike Stadium continue to evolve. Final Thoughts The experience of attending an Eastern Michigan University Eagles baseball game at Oestrike Stadium is unlikely to be something that will be particularly memorable, but fans of college baseball should make the stop when they can to this convenient and improving little ballpark.

Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Neyland Stadium Phillip Fulmer Way Knoxville, TN 37996 Tennessee Volunteers website Neyland Stadium website Year Opened: 1921 Capacity: 101,915 Saturdays on Rocky Top There are only three college football stadiums in the country accessible by water – the largest and most recognized is situated on the shore of the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tennessee. Neyland Stadium has been home to the Tennessee Volunteers since 1921; with a current seating capacity of 101,915, this stadium is the 6th-largest in the country and 3rd in the Southeastern Conference. Neyland Stadium has been home to six National Champions, with the Vols having a 77.5% overall home winning percentage. Neyland Stadium is named in honor of Robert Neyland, a Volunteers coach from 1926-1952. Neyland arrived in Knoxville as an Army captain in the university’s ROTC department, and started as a part-time football coach. He ended his career at Tennessee as a legendary head coach and full Brigadier General. There is a statue of him located just inside the main gate of the facility. The stadium has undergone 17 renovations, the most recent before the 2022 season including new lower-west club and upper-north social deck spaces, bringing Neyland to its current seating capacity. Other upgrades included the restoration of the historic V-O-L-S letters along the top of the facility’s south end (2022), a second videoboard on the upper-north deck (2022), and bronze statues honoring four of Tennessee’s Black football trailblazers (2021). Other changes also eventually enclosed what once was a horseshoe-shaped stadium, elevated the bleachers, and added premium seating opportunities in the venue’s 120 suites.   Food & Beverage   3 The concessions inside Neyland Stadium are basic sports venue food. However, this is all you really need when it comes to watching football with over 100,000 fans. There are basics such as hot dogs (Hebrew National), hamburgers, pretzels, popcorn, Papa John’s pizza, and Coca-Cola brand products throughout the stadium. Calhoun’s BBQ Shack also offers its basic menu, but adds the local flavor of pulled pork sandwiches and pulled pork nachos. Neyland Stadium started alcohol sales in 2019, which has been an ongoing debate over the last 5 years. The current beer list consists of Budweiser and Coors products, Dos Equis, Michelob Light, Miller Lite, Yuengling, and Sweetwater Hazy IPA. The concession prices here are in line with other SEC stadiums.   Atmosphere   5 There aren’t many college football stadiums that carry a game day atmosphere like Neyland, illustrated by the constant sell outs, the traditions of Tennessee football, and the 100K fans in orange that migrate to Neyland no matter the opponent. Neyland Stadium is one of the few stadiums that can be accessed by water. The Tennessee River offers a unique opportunity for pre-game gatherings – the “Vol Navy” consists of more than 200 boats that dock on the Tennessee River along Volunteer landing during pre-game, a practice commonly referred to as sailgating (the University of Tennessee, along with the University of Washington and Baylor University , are the three college football stadiums where sailgating is a pre-game ritual). The atmosphere on game day starts long before the gates open at Neyland Stadium – fans can start their day by visiting Volunteer Village, which is free to all fans regardless of whether they have a game ticket. Volunteer Village offers live music, food trucks, and other activities. The Volunteer Village Fan Fest opens 3 1/2 hours before kickoff, but make sure you don’t miss the other pre-game activities, such as the Vol Walk, and the football team walk over to Neyland Stadium, which occurs two hours and fifteen minutes before kickoff. The Pride of the Southland Band also marches down Volunteer Boulevard 90 minutes before kickoff. Once all these activities are completed, walking into Neyland Stadium would be next on the agenda. When walking into Neyland Stadium, you can feel the energy and magic with the orange and white checkerboard design in both end zones. The retired numbers of past greats are easy to see on the ribbon scoreboard and the bright 4 letters on each side of the south end zone scoreboard that simply say V-O-L-S. All of college football has exciting team entries, but Tennessee has one of the most iconic – the team enters through a T-formation created by the Pride of the Southland Band, while 100K fans sing “Rocky Top,” a song that any visitor fan will be singing on the way home. The Southeastern Conference generally has great football game day atmospheres, but it is hard to compete with a game in Knoxville.   Neighborhood   4 Neyland Stadium is on The University of Tennessee’s campus, nestled between the downtown area of Knoxville and the Tennessee River. The location provides easy walking distance access to most of Knoxville’s attractions, dining, and lodging. World’s Fair Park, the former site of the 1982 World’s Fair is where you can visit Sunsphere Tower; the observation deck there is an interesting way to spend some time. There is also the Knoxville Museum of Art and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, both within walking distance of Neyland Stadium. A popular spot for dining is Calhoun’s on the River, located just up Neyland Drive by the Gay Street Bridge – this popular Tennessee BBQ spot fills up quickly on game day. For upscale dining, there is also Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a little past Calhoun’s towards downtown. Speaking of downtown, you can also find Downtown Grill and Brewery close by, for a variety chose of food and a full list of local craft beers. In addition, there are numerous options for lodging, being in a downtown area, depending on availability. There is the Hyatt Place Knoxville/Downtown, Hilton Knoxville, or the Hampton Inn & Suites Knoxville, all close enough to Neyland Stadium that you can walk to the venue. However, finding vacancies could be a problem as they are all booked well in advance.   Fans   5 Tennessee has sold out 75,000 of their season tickets allotment with 15,000 on the waiting list. The average attendance in 2023 was over 101,000, which fills Neyland Stadium. Volunteer fans not only show up to Neyland Stadium but they are also heard – the fans are loud throughout the game. Neyland Stadium is a sea of orange with attire that can only represent the University of Tennessee, and the constant playing of “Rocky Top” by the Pride of the Southland Band only seems to make the decibel level go higher. Tennessee fans are fun, and energetic, and show Southern hospitality throughout the game, yet their presence is a large part of the high winning percentage in Knoxville, giving visiting opponents an environment that is not in their favor.   Access   3 The population of Knoxville is around 190,000, so with more than 100,000 fans descending on Knoxville on game day, things can be very crowded as far as access. The closest airport is Knoxville Airport about 10 miles away, but prices during football weekend can be high and seats limited. Nashville is a 2 1/2-hour drive away but could be an easier place to fly into for fans traveling by air. As with most major college football stadiums, the parking lots immediately surrounding the stadium are reserved for major donors and season ticket holders; the best parking option is to use the downtown parking areas. On game day the city of Knoxville and the area Transit Authority provide off-site parking with shuttle service to the stadium. Taxis, Uber, and shared riding is also available. The best way to figure out how to get to Neyland stadium when coming to Knoxville is to go to the Tennessee game day parking website , as things can change from season to season. The best advice is to get to the stadium early, so you can avoid the large crowd that is around Neyland Stadium. Once inside the facility, however, things aren’t exactly easy to migrate around, due to the crowd size. The earlier you can get inside the stadium, the easier time you will have to find your seat and other items. UT operates with a clear bag policy, and stadium security regulations limit fans to one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a one-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person.   Return on Investment   4 The ticket prices at Neyland Stadium are similar to other large college football schools. Ticket prices are separated into non-conference and conference games; non-conference games can range between $40 and $75, while the prices increase for SEC games, running between $75 and $120 per ticket, and the bigger the visiting team the higher the price. The Georgia  and Alabama games are high-demand games with prices being in a high-level tier on the secondary market, coming in at the expected premium prices. The cost of parking is decent, ranging between $15 and $40 depending on the location. Lodging will be your biggest expense, as hotels in Knoxville are all booked and very expensive on game weekends. One suggestion is to search for one of the many hotels in the Gatlinburg area, which will be much cheaper and are not located too far from Knoxville. Overall, the cost of seeing a Tennessee football game in Knoxville is worth the price, however.   Extras   4 The experience of seeing 100,000 people as an ocean of orange singing Rocky Top in unison is something very few stadiums can match. The City of Knoxville and the Tennessee River provide a unique location for Neyland Stadium, and the venue is also home to twenty-four former players enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, with the numbers of Johnny Majors (# 45), Reggie White (# 92), Peyton Manning (# 16), and Doug Atkins (# 91) retired on Neyland Stadium’s ribbon board.   Final Thoughts Neyland Stadium has everything that any college football fan loves – the atmosphere, the large fan base, and the traditions. The facility is known as one of the most easily recognized college stadiums, due to its orange checkerboard end zones. There are very few college stadiums that can match Neyland Stadium – this is a stadium that I strongly believe should be on any sports fan list to visit in their sports journey.

Photo By Lance Sutehall, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Dunn-Oliver Acadome 1595 Robert C. Hatch Dr Montgomery, AL 36104 Alabama State Hornets website Dunn-Oliver Acadome website Year Opened: 1992 Capacity: 7,400 The Hornets’ Nest The city of Montgomery is home to the campus of Alabama State University, one of the oldest historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the nation. Alabama State’s athletics are known as the Hornets and they play in Division One’s Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The venue is named for Charles Johnson “C.J.” Dunn and James Oliver, two of the Hornets’ most prominent coaches. The Hornets have called the venue home since 1992. Alabama State has made four NCAA Tournaments at the Division One level, last making the big dance in 2011. Food & Beverage 2 The concession stands have a limited menu that includes nachos ($9), hot dogs ($4), popcorn ($4), candy ($2), chips ($2), and Coca-Cola brand bottled beverages ($4). Alcohol is not sold at the Acadome. Atmosphere 4 When entering the Dunn-Oliver Acadome you first see trophy cases showing off the athletic successes of the Hornets sports programs over the years. Once you walk into the seating bowl you might imagine that you are walking into a hornet's nest. The ceiling looks like a honeycomb of a bee hive and the three-point arcs also have the pattern on the floor.  There is a lot of black and gold throughout the arena with the seats alternating between those colors, the out-of-bounds area of the court is black, the free-throw lane is gold, and the banners that are displayed on the walls are also gold. There is a hornet at center court of the playing floor. You know instantly it’s the home of the Alabama State Hornets basketball program. The walls have banners showing postseason successes and the numbers of retired players. There is a modern scoreboard on one end of the arena. Alabama State’s cheerleaders, dance team, and band do an amazing job of keeping the energy up during a game. Stinger, the Alabama State mascot, walks around the arena keeping families entertained. Neighborhood 3 The campus of Alabama State University is located in Montgomery which is the capital of Alabama. The capitol building is located less than two miles north of the university. Other landmarks worth checking out in Montgomery include the Rosa Parks Museum, the Freedom Rides Museum, the Civil Rights Memorial, and the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum.  Dining options include Wintzell’s Oyster House, Dreamland BBQ, and Bibb Street Pizza Company. Chain hotels such as Embassy Suites, SpringHill Suites, and Hampton Inn are located in downtown Montgomery. Fans 3 Alabama State fans are passionate about the Hornet's athletic teams and are appreciative of the athlete's efforts. Helped by the atmosphere created by the band, cheerleaders, dance team, and Stinger, the fans are engaged throughout the game. Access 4 Coming from I-65, turn onto I-85 and get off exit 1 onto Arba Street. Turn right on S Decatur Street and make a left on Carter Hill Road. The Acadome will be on your left and is hard to miss.  From I-85 westbound, get off at exit 1 and turn left onto S Union Street. Make a left on Carter Hill Road and look for the Acadome. Parking is free and there is plenty of room to walk around once inside the building. Return on Investment 4 Tickets are only $10 for a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader. Even if you drop $10 on concessions you will only spend $20 for a day of SWACtion as well as hear performances from an amazing marching band.  Extras 2 There are plenty of museums around Montgomery to visit if you have some time to check them out. The venue hosted high school basketball regionals for several years but stopped hosting a few years ago. Final Thoughts You will not go wrong with spending a day at the Acadome as you will get to see competitive Division One basketball with an amazing band and not break the bank while doing so.

Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29 Hammons Field 955 East Trafficway Springfield, MO 65802 Map It Springfield Cardinals website Hammons Field website Year Opened: 2005 Capacity: 10,486 Baby Cardinals Attending a baseball game at Hammons Field is a baseball purist’s dream and an altogether fantastic day or evening out. Hammons Field, in Springfield MO, is the home of the Springfield Cardinals, an AA affiliate of MLB’s St Louis Cardinals . Hammons Field opened on April 2, 2004, and cost $32 million. John Q Hammons, a wealthy hotel developer and builder from Springfield MO, financed the stadium construction. The first year saw only the local college play ball at the park as no pro ball club had committed to playing there when it was built. The Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League began playing there the very next season. Prior to 2005, the team was the El Paso Diablos. The owners of the Diablos sold the franchise to the Cardinals who relocated them to Springfield. The Springfield Cardinals won the Texas League Championship in 2012 and are looking to repeat that in future seasons. The Missouri State University Bears baseball team uses the field in the spring. Hammons Field hosts other events for the Southwestern Missouri community, such as Trick or Treat on Halloween. It is an intimate, comfortable venue that exudes Cardinals baseball and is one well worth visiting. Food & Beverage 4 The ballpark sells plenty of drinks, food, and snacks at higher prices than expected for an AA ballpark in Missouri. However, plenty of food promotions are offered throughout the season. Keep those in mind when visiting. First, adult beverages are $3 off for the first 30 minutes after the gates open. That said, even with the discount, a 16 oz specialty craft beer is still $7. Tuesdays are $2 brats and hot dogs. Thursday home games are ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ with $3 off drink specials for fans 21 and older all game long. Kids get a free ice cream before Sunday home games. Burgers and chicken tenders are sold at the Home Plate Concessions while there’s a Domino’s Pizza and a Chick-fil-A down the third base concourse. Cardinals Cantina sells Mexican fare with gourmet nachos and burrito bowls (with fajita chicken, pulled pork, and white queso options) and a variety of toppings. They cost between $11.65 – $15.49. Other traditional snacks like popcorn, soft pretzels, chips, and peanuts are available for purchase. Cardinals Creamery has nine different flavors of ice cream (a souvenir helmet is $6.49). Other snacks at that stand are funnel cakes ($7) and cotton candy ($5.25). Bottled water is $4.99 and soda (Coca-Cola brands) are $6.25 and $7.49. KPub and the 1st Base Bar offer adult beverages such as wine, mixed drinks, and craft brews. Adults can purchase bottled and canned beer at most concession stands as well as Grab and Go Stations. Atmosphere 5 The venue emanates baseball and all staff members make you feel welcome and glad you are visiting their stadium. The concourse runs on top of the seating area; fans walk down to their seats. Twenty-two rows of green stadium seats with cupholders and handrails make up the seating area. Plenty of handicapped and wheelchair seating runs along the top of the concourse. Suites line the second level of the stadium behind home and on the first base side. The Redbird Roost (second level third base side) features premium seats and all-you-can-eat food and soda. The outer first base side has the Champions Club seats with an upgraded all-you-can-eat menu and four adult beverages included in the price. The ballpark has an immaculately, green field. When the big Cardinals go to the playoffs, the grounds crew from Springfield goes to St. Louis to assist with the maintenance of Busch Stadium. Something a bit different, the batter’s eye is a set of trees sponsored by Coca-Cola. Hammons Field Batters Eye, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Thankfully, the game day operation does not include music and noise between each and every pitch; instead, just between batters and innings. Contests and other forms of non-baseball entertainment include activities like wacky races and t-shirt tosses. A grassy berm (general admission) is down the third baseline and kids can run around in that area (depending on attendance). The scoreboard is in left-center field and clearly shows the batter’s stats, the line-up, the line score, the pitcher’s name, and some unobtrusive advertisements The team has plenty of promotions and giveaways throughout the season: t-shirts, jerseys, replica rings, Friday night fireworks, bobbleheads, and more. Check their schedule or follow them on social media to see the current season’s exciting offerings. Neighborhood 4 Hammons Field is in Springfield, MO, the southwestern part of the state. Several bars, restaurants, and hotels are within ½ to one mile of the stadium with more a little further away. It’s a safe neighborhood to visit and the town has plenty to offer a visiting baseball fan or tourist. For starters, visit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (though it is 10 miles from the ballpark), an interactive museum of teams and individuals influential to sports in Missouri. The Bass Pro Shop in town (three miles from the ballpark) is the largest and has enough to be considered a museum with aquariums, waterfalls, a firing range, outdoor gear showrooms, and the archery hall of fame. Route 66 museums, artifacts, and shops dot the area for those who enjoy nostalgia from the 40s and 50s. For places to eat, visit Ebbets Field Sports Bar (three blocks away) or Rama Thai Café. Dugout Bar & Grill is a block away (a small neighborhood bar). Downtown Springfield is a mile away. There you’ll find Black Sheep Burgers and Shakes, Big Whiskey’s, or Civil Kitchen. Local breweries include Springfield Brewing Company (which serves food) and Mother’s Brewing Company. If spending the night, the University Plaza Hotel is 1/3 mile from the ballpark. A Best Western Inn is a mile away and a Tru by Hilton borders downtown. Plenty of other chain hotels are three to four miles away off the Interstate 44 exit. Fans 5 The baseball spirit, passion, knowledge, and courtesy always shown by St Louis Cardinals fans are displayed just as equally by its AA team fans and staff. Fans wear lots of red… red caps shirts and jerseys honoring both the Springfield and St Louis Cardinals. You’ll hear many discussing the players and which ones will make it up to the bigs. The team has averaged 4,800 – 5,000 or so fans per game the last five-plus years. Access 4 Getting to Hammons Field is not too difficult. It is three miles south of Interstate 44. The closest airport is Springfield-Branson National Airport about eight miles from the park. Springfield has a bus service that looks like it has a stop .2 miles from the park. Check CU Transit to see if that option works for your visit. Parking lots surround the park and range from $5 – $20. Twenty dollars is way too high for AA baseball. The team does not own the parking around the stadium and does not have control of the prices. Fans can park for free a few blocks away (.3 miles) at OTC (Ozarks Technical Community College) and Price Cutter. Free street parking is available a few blocks south on Walnut St. The main entranceway is striking. It’s a large plaza with plenty of room for fans to meet. The brickwork and towers are picturesque. The interior has a covered, wide concourse lined with concessions and kiosks. It is open and fans can watch the play of game while walking on the concourse. Clean, serviceable restrooms are down both baseline concourses. The Cardinals have a clear bag policy where bags must be standard stadium-sized (12” x 6” x 12”) clear bags. Return on Investment 4 Attending a game at Hammons Field is well worth your sports dollar budget. Tickets run $9 (General Admission) to $18 (Diamond Boxes – sections behind home plate). The Redbird Roost tickets are $30 (includes all-you-can-eat). Parking can be expensive; use the free lots a few blocks away. Food and drink prices are a tad high for the Texas League. Attend on a $2 Tuesday or Thirsty Thursday to save a few bucks. Take advantage of the different promotions offered throughout the season. Extras 4 A nice team store along the concourse sells all kinds of Springfield and St. Louis Cardinals gear. Be sure to pick up a lineup and game notes in the team store. It also comes with a pre-printed scoresheet. It’s the little things that are noticeable. For example, the bar stands on both the first base and third base concourse leave beer cans unopened, and wrap hot dogs and brats in foil so fans can easily carry them in their bags without spilling. And, the staff striking up conversations and providing information on the park makes one feel welcome. Final Thoughts When transferring my notes for this review, I ran across this sentence I had written while at the game in Springfield, “This is the most wonderful place on earth right now. I feel like I’m in heaven.” It radiates baseball here. It’s about the game; a baseball purist dream. At close to twenty years old, Hammons Field and the Springfield Cardinals continue to be a perfect place for baseball enthusiasts and other fans to spend their evenings.

Photos by Lloyd Rothwell, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 BlueBet Stadium Mulgoa Rd Penrith, NSW 2750 Australia Penrith Panthers website BlueBet Stadium website Year Opened: 1967 Capacity: 22,500 Penrith Panthers at BlueBet The Penrith Panthers were admitted to what is now known as the National Rugby League in 1967 however didn’t experience real success until the late 1980s and early 1990s. The club won its maiden premiership in 1991. Penrith won their second title in 2003. After experiencing some lean years more recently, the club is once again challenging for premiership success in the early 2020s. The Panthers represent a working-class area located on the western edge of the Sydney metropolitan area at the foot of the Blue Mountains. BlueBet Stadium opened the same year Penrith entered the competition and currently has a capacity of 22,500. The stadium is owned by Penrith City Council, with the Panthers being the sole major tenant. A smattering of high-level soccer and international rugby league matches have also been held here. Food & Beverage 3 Most visitors will enter the stadium via the western entrances. The forecourt immediately beyond the turnstiles is the best place to purchase your refreshments. There’s a reasonable selection of food items which cater to most tastes. The West Bar is also close by, however, expect to spend some time in the queue to purchase your drinks. Food outlets around the stadium offer the standard fare: burgers, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hot chips, and soft drinks. Expect to pay between $10-$15 for a decent feed and a further $5 for a drink. Other vendors within the forecourt offer wares such as pizza and “toasties.” The bar offers several types of beer: Iron Jack, Toohey’s New, Hahn Super Dry, and Hahn Premium Light. Prices are around $8, with a $1 discount for members. Premixed spirits and wine are also available. Atmosphere 4 The grandstands are reserved seating, but much of the ground-level seating is designated as general admission. Be aware that the northern hill is largely a family area, which means no alcohol. This is enforced by security. Ushers guard the reserved seating areas. The southern hill has minimal elevation so large numbers of fans stand in this area. Plenty of families bring chairs and blankets which is a good idea. The eastern stand receives the afternoon sun. The branding and signage around the ground leave you in doubt that this is Penrith territory. The façade of the western stand features banners of the current team. The top of the eastern stand is adorned with the names of club legends such as Craig Gower and Greg Alexander. Neighborhood 3 Penrith is a major centre of Western Sydney, with the local area being one of the most populous in the state. The Penrith Panthers Leagues Club is one of the largest registered clubs in NSW. It is the closest and most attractive option for entertainment close to the stadium. There are numerous food options including burgers, pizza, seafood, steak, noodles, and more. Other activities that might be of interest are a driving range where you hit a lake and a cable wakeboarding water park. In the same area across the road are an indoor skydiving centre and several chain restaurants including McDonald’s and Outback Steakhouse. Pubs close by including the Australian Arms, one of the oldest pubs in the district. There’s also plenty of pubs closer to the CBD and a Westfield Shopping Centre. Some sporting and recreation facilities are nearby. The Nepean River is one of the major geographical features of the area, along with Penrith Lake which includes both the Sydney International Regatta Centre and Penrith Whitewater Stadium, both venues built for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. The Penrith Emus Shute Shield rugby club plays at Nepean Rugby Park and the Penrith Paceway next door has harness racing on Thursday nights. The world heritage-listed Blue Mountains are also easily accessible from Penrith, by either rail or road. The Mountains effectively mark the western edge of the Sydney metropolitan area and form part of the Great Dividing Range, which extends almost the length of the continent from north to south. Many of the historic towns are worth visiting including Leura, Wentworth Falls, and the major towns of Katoomba and Lithgow. The natural beauty of the area is well worth a visit, including “The Three Sisters” rock formation and Jenolan Caves. There’s plenty of opportunities for bushwalking and outdoor adventuring but be sure to prepare properly and take appropriate precautions. In summary, there’s plenty to do in the local area but in Western Sydney cars are king – so be prepared to drive anywhere outside of the precinct across Mulgoa Rd. Forming part of the Panthers precinct just across the road, the Mercure Penrith is the obvious choice for accommodation and a short walk from the stadium. Fans 4 Penrith is a working-class area. The locals are proud of their town and their football team. Crowds have once again increased as the Panthers have begun to experience more success on the field. The COVID impacted the 2020 season aside, average attendance in recent years is around 14,000 which is certainly enough to create an exciting and dynamic atmosphere. The Panthers have healthy rivalries with other western Sydney teams, with the biggest arguably being the Parramatta Eels. Access 3 While the stadium is accessible by public transport, the majority of fans drive. Expect some congestion around local roads as game time nears. Visitors traveling from other areas of Sydney will arrive via the Mulgoa Rd exit from the M4 Western Motorway. There is limited free parking within the Panthers complex, but this can fill quite quickly. There are also relatively cheap paid parking options at the Paceway on the northern side of the stadium (Ransley St) and the cricket club on the southern side (Station St) which will run you about $5. The nearest railway station is 10 mins walk from the stadium. There is a box office just outside the entry but it’s just as easy to buy online and either print them at home or have the link sent to your phone. Fans tend to mill about outside the entrance waiting for friends or family. There’s a bag check at the entrance, but overall, there are no difficulties or hassles when entering. The concourse is quite easy to navigate, although it’s a little congested at the southern end. Generally, there are no issues with moving around the various areas should you like to move around during the game. The bathrooms are a bit old but serviceable. Return on Investment 4 Adult tickets range from $35 general admission through to $60 for the most expensive “Diamond” reserved seats. Children from the age of 2 require a ticket regardless of where they sit. Family passes that admit 4 people are a reasonable value when compared to single tickets. Food and beverage prices are reasonable compared to other NRL venues and cheap parking is welcomed. Extras 2 Penrith has capitalised on their name with a “Pink Panther” theme and wears pink jerseys for the annual Women in League round. Final Thoughts The Panthers are once again one of the hottest tickets in town with a team to rival any other club in the NRL. Penrith is also a gateway to exploring the beautiful Blue Mountains and beyond, and thus should be a destination for all visitors to this part of the world.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Gulfstream Park 901 S Federal Hwy Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 Gulfstream Park website Year Opened: 1939 Miami’s Other Track Hialeah Park in Miami is probably the most well-known live horse racing venue in the state of Florida, but not far away is another track, Gulfstream Park, which offers many more racing days on the calendar – Gulfstream Park offers live racing from July to October and again from December to May, while Hialeah only has live racing from November to February. Food & Beverage 4 Gulfstream Park offers a wide range of concessions for folks at the races, but unexpectedly most of them come from the same main stands. If you stand in front of the concessions stands for a minute or two you will see the board flip between three different menus – chicken wings, chicken tenders, hot dogs, and wraps, followed by pizza, subs, and calzones, and finally stir fry bowls with an Asian flare. This is for the stands inside the clubhouse (lower level), with prices ranging from $5 to $15 for main dishes, but if you walk outside you can find more basic stands that just have hot dogs, pizza, and small snacks for $3 to $6. If you sit up on the club level (which requires a pricier ticket) you can enjoy buffet-style food and a full bar. Atmosphere 3 The atmosphere at Gulfstream Park is nice – the scenery is great with the lake in the middle the palm trees, and a few high-rises in the background, and there are multiple seating areas you can choose from, most of which are under cover if not indoors – some of the ones outside have fans blowing to help keep you cool, although it is so hot here they don’t help much. There are of course plenty of betting machines, mostly self-service, and there is also a large simulcast viewing room inside, with dozens of screens on the wall if you want to take in races at other tracks, and plenty of individual seats at tables in front of them so you can keep notes. Neighborhood 4 There is very little entertainment within walking distance of Gulfstream Park, other than the attached casino, given the enormous footprint the track and its accompanying parking lots take up, but there are plenty of great restaurants within a short drive. Being in Miami Cuban food is a great option, and you will see plenty of those eateries in the area, as well as numerous great seafood places. There is also a wonderful Mexican restaurant closer to the airport (about 20 minutes from the track) called Chevys Fresh Mex, which is worth a look if are headed that way. In addition to the restaurants there are plenty of hotels in the area, most of them closer to the beach, and if you are looking for something to do before or after the races, Miami also has several professional sports teams, including the Miami Dolphins , the Miami Marlins , and the Miami Heat , as well as the University of Miami Hurricanes which share a stadium with the Dolphins . Since Gulfstream Park offers racing throughout most of the year, you should be able to double up with one or more of these other teams if desired. Fans 2 Gulfstream Park doesn’t have many racegoers in attendance, possibly because the races begin around noon or 1 p.m. instead of at night – but with ten or so races on the card, you may see a bump in attendance as the sun starts to go down. Access 4 The big knock for Miami horse racing is simply the traffic – it takes a very long time to get to Gulfstream Park, but once you get on-site you can park very easily right next to the racetrack. The parking lot itself seems a little run down with a few potholes in places, but it is largely empty, so there is plenty of room. Once inside there is even more room to roam around, with plenty of seating in any of the various sections. Return on Investment 3 There is no cost for admission at Gulfstream Park, and you can buy a basic program for only $1 (the more detailed program runs $5). However, there is nothing here that is too out of the ordinary – just a basic racetrack in a pretty setting. Extras 2 You can get pretty close to the horses here, though depending on the length of each race (they vary across the card), the starting gate might be on the other side of the track. There is also an inner track as well as an outer track, making races on the inner track a little harder to follow – but they have several giant videoboards around, so you can watch the action that way if you can’t quite make out the leaders with the naked eye.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29 TQL Stadium 1501 Central Pkwy Cincinnati, OH 45214 FC Cincinnati website TQL Stadium website Year Opened: 2021 Capacity: 26,000 TQL In Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati (FC Cincinnati) has been in existence since 2015. At that time, they played at the USL’s Champions level of competition. They played their home matches at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati. The team was an immediate success, as the population of Queen City has a large ethnically diverse population, and soccer was their game of choice. By 2019, they had applied for membership at the MLS level. This application was approved, with the requirement that a soccer-specific stadium be built for the team in the first few years of membership in the MLS. The team immediately went to work on getting a venue built. After much discussion of several sites and some trading of property with the local school system work got underway on building a new stadium in the neighborhoods just northwest of downtown Cincinnati. There were still some delays, as the team changed architects, choosing Populous as their new designer. Finally, the $250 million stadium opened in 2021 as West End Stadium. It offers a soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of 25,513. A majority of those seats are chairback seats with cupholders. The stadium includes 59 suites, a 3,100-person standing area for the supporter groups, and 4,500 premium or club seats. The stadium seats feature the team’s kit colors of blue with the accent color of orange. One side of the pitch features the winged lion crest of the team in bright orange on the seating area, while the opposite side of seats spells out “FCC.” Just before their first season in the new venue, Total Quality Logistics (TQL), signed on as the naming rights holder for the stadium. TQL is a freight brokerage and third-party logistics firm. Food & Beverage 4 TQL Stadium has an extensive set of food and beverage items available for FC Cincinnati fans. There are 14 concession stands, 20 portable carts, and three bars to serve the appetites and thirst of the crowds. There are enough vendors spread throughout the stadium that you should not experience any long lines. The lineup of food vendors at the matches includes LaRosa’s Pizza, Rhine Roost, Gomez Tacos, AJ’S Philly Cheesesteaks, Frisch’s, Smokehaus, Queen City Eats, Buffalo Wings and Rings, and Skyline Chili. There are also three grab-and-go-style convenience outlets in the stadium. Alcoholic drinks are available at the Heineken Supporter’s Bar, the Coors Light Bar, or the Rhinegeist Bar. Atmosphere 5 TQL offers an excellent electronics package. The exterior of the stadium features ribbed steel girders with LED lighting attached so that the outside skin can feature multiple colors and spell out a variety of messages. Inside the facility are two massive scoreboards at each end of the pitch. They are the widest videoboards in the MLS, as they measure 150 feet each. There are also ribbon boards fronting the front decks on either side of the pitch. The stadium also offers an up close and personal view of the action on the pitch. Most seats are within 15 feet of the pitch, with no seats more than 130 feet from the pitch. This is accomplished by having a 34-degree to the stands. One of the most appreciated aspects of the design of the TQL Stadium is the canopy that covers the entire seating bowl. This allows the fans to stay dry and protected from the rain and snow that can occur during the early spring games. It also provides shade and protection from the sun during the summer portion of the schedule. Neighborhood 5 TQL Stadium sits on Central Parkway, which is the dividing line between the West End and the Over the Rhine neighborhoods. Cincinnati is unique in that it has a large residential population mixed with businesses and shops. The Over the Rhine neighborhood has the reputation of being the largest entertainment district in the city, as it is filled with restaurants, museums, bars, and theatres. Many of the buildings in this area are on the National Register of Historic Places. The West End is more residential. The ownership of FC Cincinnati had to make many concessions in the size of the stadium, as well as scale back the exterior lighting planned for the stadium in response to the demands of the neighborhood associations that border the venue. The Pitch Cincy is a soccer-themed bar located across the street from TQL Stadium. It offers food trucks, a rooftop patio, and a video wall to televise multiple soccer games from around the world. Also close by is the Cincinnati Music Hall, which offers a wide range of musical concerts throughout the year. Fans 5 The roads on the east side of TQL Stadium are closed to traffic three hours before the matches start so that the team can set the pregame entertainment zone. This area includes food and drink vendors, numerous soccer-related skills contests, team merchandise tables, and plenty of music. The East Fan Plaza opens two hours before the match and closes 30 minutes before the start. One of the most impressive aspects of the pregame celebration period is the Supporters March. The March begins with each supporter group setting out from their home neighborhoods. They all meet up at Washington Park, which is a few blocks from the stadium. They then march as one unified group into the stadium. The capos and drummers from each group work very hard at coordinating this pregame tradition. Each supporter group has the responsibility of designing its tifo, or banner, before each match. For the most part, the supporter groups are based on geography or heritage. These include Auxilia One (FC Cincinnati fans in the New York City area), Die Innenstadt (inner city residents of Cincinnati), Norden (northern suburbs of Cincinnati), and Hanger 937 (residents of Dayton, Ohio that support FC Cincinnati). Other groups include Briogaid (Irish/Celtic fans), the Queen City Mafia (American football fans that like soccer), and the Knights of the Bailey (made up of the capos and drummers that coordinate the chants and songs during the matches with all the groups mentioned above). FC Cincinnati has a local and regional network of 19 Pub Partners for each match. The drinking establishments agree to have their TVs and big screens tuned to the FCC match during both home and away matches. This allows the team to build their brand in communities outside of Queen City, while the pubs get more business from the promotion the team gives them. Access 4 Getting to an FC Cincinnati game may be the most difficult part of the game-day experience. This is because the stadium is in the middle of a downtown area in a midsize city. The streets around the stadium are narrow, as they typically serve a residential population. There are several parking lots scattered around TQL Stadium. There are 2,000 parking spots within two blocks of the stadium. The remaining lots are not managed by the team. This means the parking fees can vary dramatically. Many people who live close to the stadium prefer to just bike to the matches. TQL offers free bike racks outside of the stadium for these fans. The most cost-effective and stress-free way to get to TQL on gamedays is to take the Cincinnati Bell Connector Streetcar. This streetcar circulates throughout the city regularly. There is a streetcar stop at Washington Park, which is a four-minute walk from the stadium. Best of all, this service is free! There are six entry gates at TQL Stadium. They open 90 minutes before the match start. Once inside, the stadium concourses are 30 feet wide and are very easy to navigate. The aisles are well-marked and easy to follow. The legroom is better than average, and all seats have cupholders. A majority of the seats in the stadium feature chairback seating. Accessibility for people with disabilities is a priority at the stadium. Entry gates offer a separate lane for people with disabilities so they will not have to stand for long lengths of time. Once inside, every restroom has wider stalls for those who have impairments. The team also has assistive listening devices or noise-deadening headphones for people who have sensory issues. The ribbon boards that front the upper-level seating offer close-captioned messaging throughout the matches. Return on Investment 4 Tickets for FC Cincinnati games come at several price points. The most expensive seat for an individual match is $59 for a seat on the upper level at Midfield. Other levels include $44 for upper-level seats on the sides, $35 for lower level in the corners, $32 for lower levels seats at one end of the pitch, and $25 for upper-level seats at one end of the pitch. Not surprisingly, the Supporter Group standing seats at the other end of the pitch on the lower level are the cheapest at $19. We found the food and beverage prices were quite reasonable. Parking lot prices varied in our research. The Bell Connector streetcar can’t be beat as far as price as it is free. It also offers a convenient drop-off/pick-up location just a four-minute walk from the stadium. Extras 3 FC Cincinnati has one of the largest team stores in the MLS. It measures 9,000 square feet and offers two levels of shopping. At 59 suites, TQL Stadium qualifies as having the most suites of any MLS stadium that does not host an NFL team. In addition to MLS matches, TQL Stadium has hosted CONCACAF Third Round and Gold Quarterfinal Matches. Final Thoughts FC Cincinnati has one of the most fervent fan bases in the MLS. TQL Stadium rewards that loyalty with a venue that is a terrific place for fans to enjoy the Beautiful Game.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86 Roy Kidd Stadium Roy and Sue Kidd Way Richmond, KY 40475 Eastern Kentucky Colonels website Roy Kidd Stadium website Year Opened: 1969 Capacity: 20,000 Roy Kidd Stadium is in a League of its Own Roy Kidd Stadium on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, maybe one of the most unusual-looking football stadiums in college football. The home of the Colonels football program is a nine-story structure that seats 20,000 plus and is separated into upper and lower seating that suspends fans over the field of action. Built-in 1969 and originally named Hanger Field, the stadium features a few nods to its late 1960s roots: gunpowder gray seats, plenty of sharp right angles, and interior signage that looks like it is straight from an abandoned shopping mall. There are also plenty of ramps that lead fans from its entrance to the top levels of the structure. It is a facility that includes racquetball and basketball courts, a gymnasium, and classroom space for 2,000 students. A few updates have been made to the stadium that includes synthetic turf, a new Daktronics LED video display board, and a custom audio system. Grass seating is available on the eastern portion of the end zone, along with bleacher seating for visiting fans. The football program has produced a record of 225-58-1 and two national championships (1979 and 1982) since its inception. Food & Beverage 3 There are three main concession stands inside the structure near the entrance of the stadium that offer a standard array of menu items, including hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, pizza, cheeseburgers, and nachos. The stadium also serves up giant smoked turkey legs, fried chicken sandwiches, and walking tacos to add to the mix of food items. During the cold months, cups of hot cocoa and coffee hit the spot. The stadium offers cans of beer on the newly renovated visitors’ side for $5. The options include Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors Light, and Rolling Rock. This is the only section of the stadium where fans can both purchase and drink alcoholic beverages. Local Apollo Pizza sets up a food truck just outside the main entrance in this section for more variety. Atmosphere 3 Roy Kidd Stadium offers a unique, architecturally designed structure that stands out along the main street of the campus. The look and feel are of its time in 1969. The stadium features a system of ramps that leads fans from the small ticket windows to the main concourse, this system of ramps also leads fans to the upper-level seating section (closed off during our visit) and to the lawn section of the stadium. The main concourse is fully enclosed from the upper-level section of seats and provides a somewhat sterile atmosphere with signage that looks as if it dates from the stadium’s first season of operation. There are large wall photographs of Roy Kidd himself, who won 314 games at the school from 1964 to 2002; he also has a statue near the lawn seats behind the north end zone. There is a small merchandise stand and an information booth. Outside in the seating area is a collection of fans who add much life to the building; the steep seating area puts fans almost above the playing field and atop the gridiron action. Due to the upper-level seating being closed off, the majority of fans create a lively atmosphere in the lower seats of the stadium. An LED video display is situated in the south end zone of the stadium. Expansion in 2017 on the east side of the stadium added over 3,000 new bleachers and a concourse that features modern concessions and bathroom facilities. Also, a new pedestrian-only walkway was constructed from the hill beyond the north end zone that leads onto the concourse level. This area of seating provides a great view of the main grandstand structure and design; here, fans can see the signage that honors the 1979 and 1982 National Champion plaques and is close to the action of the play on the field. Neighborhood 2 Roy Kidd Stadium is right on campus and adjacent to the basketball arena, McBrayer Arena. It is an easy walk for students and alumni to enjoy football at their school. As for the downtown, that is a different story. There is not too much action. Just north of campus on Main Street, or about a mile from McBrayer Arena, are several bars and grills. Jerzees, Madison Garden, and Paddy Wagon Irish Pub are all in this area and are known as gathering places. Fans 3 The fans are a devoted bunch who will brave the cold weather to watch the Colonels play a football game. Much of the noise generated is from these fans, who are a devoted bunch. It is hard to spot an individual who is not wearing maroon at the game. Access 3 There is a large parking lot that serves the football field and other sports venues that is a short walk to Roy Kidd Stadium. The stadium features a unique series of ramps–a product of its time–and no elevators. This could be a hindrance to fans who have trouble walking, but the staff provides golf carts that lead them to their seats. The bathrooms include separate entrances and exits. Return on Investment 3 EKU ticket prices are $13 for general admission, $18 for lawn reserve, and $8 for youth (ages 4-12). No parking fee is charged for games, and concession prices are rather affordable. A tall can of beer is $5, a pretty fair price at a college football game. Extras 3 The stadium design is of great curiosity; the design and feel of the structure can be somewhat cumbersome, but it is still fascinating to view signage, doorways, and ramps that date back to the stadium’s original season 50 years ago. The updated visitor side bleacher area creates a modern touch for football games at Roy Kidd Stadium. The concession stand that serves beer is close to the seats, and the views of the main grandstand add to the vibe. There is a large lawn seating area that is ideal for warmer days at the beginning of the season. The name of the stadium itself is named in honor of former head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Roy Kidd, who coached the Colonels from 1964-2002, producing a record of 314-124-8 record and 16 Ohio Valley Conference titles. Kidd led the team to four straight national championship games between 1978 and 1982, winning twice in 1979 and 1982. In 39 seasons, his teams only suffered two losing campaigns. A career that is deserving to be adorned in a football stadium, perhaps we could use a little more on all levels of sports. Final Thoughts This is an interesting facility that should continue to suffice the needs of football enthusiasts on the campus of Eastern Kentucky for years to come. If you’re in the area, consider a visit to Roy Kidd Stadium.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Cox Pavilion 4505 S. Maryland Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89119 UNLV Rebels Women's Basketball website Cox Pavilion website Year Opened: 2001 Capacity: 2,500 Home of the Runnin' Rebels The Cox Pavilion is the home of women’s basketball and volleyball at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Opened in 2001, it allowed the women’s programs to move from the too-spacious Thomas & Mack Center into a space more suitable to the teams. A few games a year of women’s basketball are still played at the Thomas & Mack Center. Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion are co-located with each other and share box offices and parts of a concourse. A temporary wall is set up to separate the two venues in the concourse area and is obviously moved around as needed. They are located on the north end of the main UNLV campus. UNLV was established in 1957. It is located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, in what is technically unincorporated Clark County. The university has strong science, business management, and law programs. The William Harrah College of Hotel Administration is annually ranked among the top hospitality programs in the United States due to the university's proximity to the Las Vegas Strip. When the university was known as Nevada Southern University they had adopted the "Rebel" athletics moniker and utilized a mascot dressed in a southern Confederate uniform named Beauregard. The Confederate symbolism is gone but the “Rebel” mascot still roams the sidelines of most sports events. Famous UNLV graduates include Cecil Fielder, Randall Cunningham, Jimmy Kimmel, Suge Knight, and Guy Fieri. Food & Beverage 3 There is one simple food stand as part of the Cox Pavilion setup. The Cox Cafe is moderately priced with "Rebel Dogs" going for $4, pretzels $3, nachos $3, and popcorn for $3. The Kids Meal at $9 is a nice option that includes the hot dog, snack, and small soda. Sodas are $3 and $4, with bottled water also $3. This is Vegas, so you should probably eat before or after a game at Cox Pavilion. But if you need to grab something quickly, the choices are not overwhelming but fairly priced enough. Atmosphere 2 Unfortunately, the crowds for most women's basketball programs are not very large. UNLV is no exception here with a moderate size crowd filling in the basic two-grandstand setup here. The UNLV Pep Band provides some atmosphere at the games and the Rebel mascot can usually be seen as well. The venue can get pretty noisy, even with small crowds so watching a game here is still a good time. Neighborhood 5 Well, you are in Las Vegas, so the neighborhood is pretty good. The arena is not walkable from the strip, although if staying at the Hard Rock Casino a walk is possible. That would be the ideal choice if coming here especially to watch a UNLV game. The Las Vegas Strip is world famous with a bevy of food and entertainment options available. Mid-strip is always a solid choice. If you have a car it is always good to wander off the strip. That is where one of the best buffets in town is located. Head to the M Resort far south on Las Vegas Boulevard for their Studio B Buffet, which includes unlimited beer and wine. I also always recommend staying and playing in downtown Las Vegas. The prices are cheaper and the gambling is better. It is a bit grimier, but the area has a true life of its own. The D Hotel is a nice lodging choice there. Make sure to stop into Pizza Rock, Triple Seven Brewpub, and American Coney Island for great food. If just in a drinking mood, make sure to check out Oak and Ivy (in the very cool Downtown Container Park) and the iconic Atomic Liquors. There are also numerous bars in the Fremont East neighborhood, so that pretty much everyone can find a spot they will enjoy. Fans 3 There are just not enough fans for women's college basketball. That is unfortunate as the action and sportsmanship are amazing to witness. The UNLV fans who are at the game do a great job of making noise and celebrating their team. The game I attended was between semesters so there should be more students in attendance when school is in session. Access 4 Access to the venue is pretty good. Located right around the Paradise Road and Tropicana Road intersection the venue has plenty of free parking available. Las Vegas can get very crowded so plan ahead, especially if you need to cross parts of the Strip or North Paradise Road, near the Las Vegas Convention Center, when a large conference is in town. The I-15 interstate is not far away down Tropicana Road. Return on Investment 4 Tickets can be had for a fairly cheap price of $8. For the great entertainment value, as well as coming with free parking the return on investment is solid. . Extras 3 One of the NBA Summer Leagues often uses the Cox Pavilion. There are signs on the wall noting this. It is nice to see games at an arena where so many future and upcoming basketball stars have played at. I enjoyed seeing the volleyball and women's basketball teams having banners showing all of the current teams. That is a nice touch that makes you feel like rooting for the home team. The best extra is that you are in Las Vegas. Only minutes away is a large amount of entertainment, food, and gambling options that make this sports venue a unique sports choice. Final Thoughts The intimate atmosphere of this simple gym is an excellent choice while in Las Vegas when you want to witness some pure sports entertainment.

Photo Courtesy of Harry Potter Wordl Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts, Scotland Gryffindor Lions website Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch website Year Opened: unknown Capacity: 10,000 Quidditch Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry started over 1,000 years ago. The exact time frame of the construction of the Quidditch Pitch and stands are unknown. Quidditch is a dangerous, yet popular, game played by witches and wizards all over the world. It is played on special flying broomsticks, uses three types of balls (one scarlet quaffle, two black bludgers, and one golden snitch) with seven players on each team. The pitch is used by all four teams of the school: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. Teams fervently compete against one another to win the Inter-House Quidditch Cup every school year. The venue’s darkest moment, and indeed one of the darkest moments in Wizarding history, came not during a quidditch match but when it hosted the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1995. The pitch was converted into a giant hedge maze with the championship trophy in the middle. Unbeknownst to the participants, the trophy had been converted into a Portkey, which set off the death of Cedric Diggory, the return of Lord Voldemort, and the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. Food & Beverage 5 A feast of unique choices are available for consumption at Quidditch Pitch. Golden plates and goblets are filled with roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup. Anything your taste buds desire. Pumpkin juice or butterbeer for drinks! We don’t recommend the Polyjuice as you’ll end up leaving the match as someone (or something) other than you arrived. Goblets of eggnog or firewhiskey in the cooler weather are great suggestions to warm fans up. And for the sweet tooth there are Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans, peppermint humbugs, chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, fizzing whizbees, and plenty more. The extraordinary and unique characteristic of the refreshments at Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch is the portions automatically refill. Atmosphere 4 The oval-shaped pitch is immaculately green and three 50-foot-high hoops emerge in each end of the field. The stadium’s seats rise extremely high on either side of the pitch so fans can watch the flying broomsticks’ soaring action. A high row and a center-pitch location provide the best view. Remember to bring binoculars or omnioculars, aka magic binoculars, as fans can be a distance from watching the match, the two black bludgers and scarlet quaffle. In an unusual twist for a live venue, spectators can hear the commentator call the match. The quality of commentators varies significantly, from the passionate, biased Lee Jordan to the excellent Professor McGonagall to the quixotic Luna Lovegood. And that last one is putting it nicely. Mascots or between-action entertainment is not needed, as thankfully, it is all about the fast-paced match being played. The atmosphere is especially high-charged when Gryffindor and Slytherin face off against each other. Neighborhood 2 The closest town to Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch is Hogsmeade, an enchanted town filled with shops and places to eat. Derish and Banges sells magical instruments and Honeydukes is a popular sweet shop for students which offers succulent-looking sweets, wizarding candy, and the owners make their own fudge. Zonko’s, a joke shop, is always an adventure, even for magical folk. The Three Broomsticks is a lively pub in town. Stadium Journey recommends not going to the Hog’s Head for a pint as it is quite filthy and the clientele are of a particular sort you’d be advised to avoid. When in town, be sure to visit the Shrieking Shack, a historic haunted building. Also, a visit to the post office to see the owls (300+) might be worth a stop, if that’s you’re thing. On a sunny spring day, the grounds around the pitch are perfect for playing wizard chess, Exploding Snap, a casual game of Gobstones or practicing dueling pre or post match. However, stay away from the perilous Whomping Willow on campus. Hotels, motels and BnB’s are not near the pitch nor the school. If taking the Hogwarts Express train to the school, the Leaky Cauldron (a wizard pub offering food, drinks and rooms to rent) is a few stops on the tube from Kings Cross station. Though many lodging places closer to Kings Cross are nicer, those are in the Muggle world; not the Sorcerers’ one, therefore not quite as interesting. Although not close at all to Hogwarts, other Quidditch teams to visit if in United Kingdom are the Chudley Cannons, Wimborne Wasps, Puddlemere United, Holyhead Harpies (all down south in England or Wales) or an even more exciting international team such as the Irish National Quidditch team is a short flight over the Irish Sea. One can always head to Easter Road in Edinburgh, home of the Hibernian FC, and watch a football match; different sport but closer to Hogwarts (at least in the same country). Fans 5 For security reasons, attendance is limited to Hogwarts personnel including students, professors, house-elves, and mischievous ghosts. Dementors are not permitted. Students turn out in great numbers to fill the stands. They sit with their respective houses and get thoroughly involved, waving flags, brandishing banners, and shooting off magical Filibuster fireworks. Tumultuous applause is awarded after amazing blocks and superb flying. The pitch has been the site of a number of fan incidents over the years, including a professor who was secretly Voldemort in disguise attempting to curse a player off his broomstick and a group of Slytherins disguising themselves as dementors to disrupt a match. Access 2 Getting to Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch can be tough as it is hours by train (Hogwarts Express) from Kings Cross station. The tricky part about this method is you need to know how to get to platform nine and three-quarters. Due to protective enchantments, Hogwarts is not accessible via Apparating, Portkey, or Floo Powder, although some of these may have been lifted with the end of the Wizarding War and final defeat of Voldemort. Restrooms are located in the school castle. For the ladies, we recommend not using the one on the second floor just above the Great Hall as you may run into Moaning Myrtle who sometimes floods the floor. If getting lost in the school castle (the spiral staircases randomly move), check the Marauder’s Map. The clear bag policy is not in affect and fans do not need to walk through metal detectors nor be wanded (Muggle wand!) when entering the stadium. Muggle technology is less than useful in this magical environment. Return on Investment 5 Admission and concessions are free to all Hogwarts personnel. The excitement of watching a quidditch match is nothing less than exhilarating, bewitching and thrilling. Extras 4 A merchandise shop is located not far from the entrance and offers scarves (no half and half scarves are for sale – real fans don’t like them). Other items offered are Filibuster fireworks, sparkling roaring pinwheels, rosettes, moving player figurines, team robes and hats in various sizes (all four house garments are for sale), quidditch gear, and much more. Prices range from five sickles to ten galleons (though a few trinkets are priced at 19 – 29 knuts). Watching a match in a historical, magical venue and school is always something worth writing home about. Having refreshments automatically refill is certainly worth an extra mention. Always refreshing at a sports venue, spectators can actually hear the commentator call the match. Final Thoughts Only scorcerers are able to witness a quidditch match at Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch, much to the despair of us other sports fans. If you are in Scotland, are a sports fan, and are a witch or wizard, put visiting Hogwarts for a quidditch match on your bucket list! ** A special thanks to Gregory Koch who helped with wording of the historical references and tried his best to keep me on track with actual book facts (he didn’t always succeed). Thanks Gregory! Additionally, thanks to J.K Rowling for creating such an entertaining read beginning more than 25 years ago.**

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Progressive Auto Sales Arena 1455 London Road Sarnia, ON N7T 7N2 Sarnia Sting website Progressive Auto Sales Arena website Year Opened: 1998 Capacity: 5,500 Sarnia is Buzzing with the Sting The Progressive Auto Sales Arena is home to the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. It has a seating capacity of 5,500 and sits on the campus of Lambton College. The building debuted in 1998, four seasons after the Sting arrived, and features 43 luxury suites, two full-size NHL rinks, and a full-service restaurant. In 2017, the arena received a new scoreboard, renovated the suites, added team colors and murals on the concourse walls, a new dressing room for players, and, in 2023, new dasher boards and a Kahlenberg goal horn. The franchise began operations in 1969 as the Cornwall Royals in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team captured the Memorial Cup in 1972, 1980, and 1981. The following year, the club transferred to the Ontario Hockey League and, in 1992, relocated to Newmarket, Ontario. The Royals would spend two seasons before being sold and moved to Sarnia. The renamed Sting played at the Sarnia Arena, now known as the Pat Stapleton Arena, while plans were drawn for a modern facility that would open in October 1998. Food & Beverage 4 The arena offers an array of food and drink options during the hockey game. There are several Stammer’s Stations located in the corner of the concourse offering a bulk of items from pizza slices, hot dogs, burgers, nachos, chicken tenders, boneless chicken bites, crispy chicken tenders, fries, and poutine. Many of these items can be upgraded for a few dollars more as a combo with fries and a drink (Pepsi products). The alcohol selection includes domestic and premium tall cans of Coors/Miller Lite, Coors Original, Molson Canadian, Molson OV, and Sting Light Lager. Other options include hard root beer, seltzer, and wine. The Rink Side Restaurant has its menu and drink options included with an additional price of a ticket. The team offers a carving station of sliced roast beef, grilled onions, and horseradish sauce on a soft bun. Atmosphere 4 The Progressive Auto Sales Arena is primarily made for hockey, and it is evident by the open concourse design, the sunken ice rink, standing-room-only railings, and details on the walls that showcase the Sting colors of black and yellow from former players, concession stands, and aesthetics. It is cramped due to the single concourse that wraps around the entirety of the building but features a team store stocked with jerseys, shirts, stuffed animals, hats, and other paraphernalia. The Rink Side Restaurant is separate from the seating bowl, offering fans views of the arena with a full-service bar, and various banners are on display honoring past players and individuals who have made their mark on hockey that are from Sarnia. Buzz and Honey are the official mascots of the team. They can be seen throughout the game, providing hugs and photo opportunities with fans. There is also a corner bar area that offers fans a little nook to enjoy a beer while talking with others during intermission. There is also the goal horn that is deafening after a Sting goal. Neighborhood 3 The arena is on the campus of Lambton College and within walking distance of the Lambton Mall and other retail stores and restaurants. Don’t be surprised to see fans in Sting game shopping at Walmart or Canadian Tire stores after the game. Several national chains include burger joints Harvey’s and Swiss Chalet Chicken. However, there are a few casual restaurants: Lonzo’s Kitchen, Crabby Joe’s, Twisted Arm, Chuck’s Roadhouse, and Stoke’s Inland Grill. Downtown Sarnia is about a 10-minute drive from the arena. The Pat Stapleton Arena still houses Junior B hockey, while Imperial City Brewhouse and Refined Fool Brewing Company are worth checking out. Fans 4 The main concourse is cramped and gets dense during intermission. It is full of fans dressed in Sting gear, young fans blowing horns and ringing cowbells, and other fans enjoying a bite to eat or drink. It has been a down year for the club in the standings, but the crowd is still “buzzing” during home games. Access 3 The arena is easily accessible from 402 and 40 on the east side of town. The arena is nestled into the campus buildings, with plenty of parking in lots surrounding it. Once inside, the main concourse is small and gets packed during the first and second intermissions of the game, leading to long lines or weaving in and out of traffic to get back to your seats. Return on Investment 4 There are three-tier ticket pricing: $16 for the Energy Zone behind the goalie, $24 for regular seats, and $28 for club seats. Parking is free for the game, and concession prices range from $4 for a medium pop, $5.50 for a hot dog, and $9.75 for a domestic can of beer. The meal deals include fries and pop and sell between $12 to $15. Extras 3 The Sting earns a point for the aesthetics around the building that tie it to the team. Murals, team colors, banners, and bee-themed areas let fans know they are at the home of the Sarnia Sting. The Sting retired Steven Stamkos’s number 91. Stamkos went on to star for the Tampa Bay Lightning after his junior playing days and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. The team also honors local player Shawn Burr and former NHL referee and current analyst Kerry Fraser. The Platinum Club offers a diverse menu, great views of the two rinks, and a party area for the kids. There is a full-service bar. Final Thoughts Progressive Auto Sales Arena is a quaint, hockey-friendly building that offers what many want out of a night of junior hockey. It is not flashy, offers vast concourses, or some of the bells and whistles an hour away in London and Windsor, but it does not have to. It is a cozy place to watch hockey with a few thousand rabid fans. ----- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel . Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 Little Caesars Arena 2465 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 Detroit Pistons website Little Caesars Arena website Year Opened: 2017 Capacity: 20,491 It’s Still Deee-Troit Bas-ket-ball The public address announcer for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA takes great pleasure when the Pistons get possession of the ball after it goes out of bounds. The sweet sounds of John Mason’s “Dee-troit Bas-ketIball” is as iconic in the Motor City as the Bad Boys themselves. However, since the seventies the Pistons were the victim of a bitter ownership feud between Pistons owner Bill Davidson and Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Illitch. When the Red Wings moved out of Olympia Arena, the Pistons protested what they viewed as poor conditions at Cobo Arena and moved out of Detroit proper to Pontiac to play in the ridiculously massive Pontiac Silverdome. In 1988 the Pistons would leave Pontiac for a more appropriate venue in Auburn Hills at The Palace of Auburn Hills . The Palace was a terrific venue for the Pistons and they would see their greatest franchise moments there including their three NBA Championships and over 300 consecutive sellouts. With the Pistons changing ownership to Tom Gores after the death of Bill Davidson, and the Red Wings building a new arena, the opportunity presented itself to move back downtown after four decades away. Mike Illitch was always a proponent of bringing businesses back downtown and he always put his money where his mouth was. Little Caesars Arena is the new home for both the Red Wings and the Pistons and is just on the other side of the Fisher Freeway from close neighbors Ford Field, Comerica Park and the Fox Theater. John Mason has joined the Pistons and his iconic call can still be heard throughout basketball games. It may be a bit of an unfamiliar locale, but it is still Detroit Basketball. Food & Beverage 4 In any new arena, or arena that has a significant renovation, concessions seems to be front and center, and Little Caesars arena is no different. Upon entering the arena it is not hard to find an LCA staff member that is willing to show the different concession options on the arena map that they carry with them. Little Caesars Arena offers a few larger concession areas as opposed to many small stands. The Classics concession has all of those arena options that fans would expect including hot dogs ($4.75), popcorn ($4.50), pretzels, brats and nachos. Other concession areas fans may consider include the Coop, which features a variety of chicken options, Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit, Mike’s Pizza Bar, Mac & Cheese and of course Little Caesars Pizza ($6.75). One of the most popular spots is the District Market, which offers a variety of different stands in an urban market type of setting. There are a variety of craft beer selections available at Little Caesars Arena. The traditional, Budweiser and Bud Light as well as Blue Light can be found but Bell’s and Goose Island products are also easily found as well as Founders’ All Day IPA. Beer is found from $9.00 to $11.50. Other cocktails and daiquiris can be found throughout also. Soft drinks feature Coca-Cola products ($6/$7.25) and bottled water and hot beverages are also available. One of the great parts of the Little Caesars Arena concession scene is that there are great concession options on the upper level as well as the lower level, which is not necessarily commonplace. Atmosphere 5 Little Caesars Arena attempts to meld a modern arena with something from a different era. The exterior of the Little Caesars Arena attempts to bring you back to old Olympia Arena in Detroit, which the Pistons and Red Wings shared. A healthy mix of glass and brick, the exterior of Little Caesars Arena is very attractive. The west side of the arena features the Chevrolet Plaza which has a huge video screen and is a terrific meeting spot between the arena and parking garage. There are also a number of restaurants around the arena, one of which, curiously, features a large outdoor patio which would not be used during either hockey or basketball seasons. The exterior is filled with LED screens which change content based on the event being held. For Pistons games, the exterior looks much more like the home of the Pistons than for other events. On the inside of Little Caesars Arena, there is a distinct clash of styles. The exterior is an old school Detroit warehouse feel, similar to Ford Field. The use of brick and very high open ceilings along with large windows to allow natural light in gives the arena a whole different feel. The details are significant with large pictures of key athletes and displays of historic memorabilia, right down to the manhole covers that honor specific Pistons or Red Wings athletes. The feel of walking through a promenade or outdoor mall is strong when walking through the concourses. The interior is far different, with a significantly modern feel. Around the seating bowl, the use of lighting is very strong, blue or red for the exterior of the seating bowl. The upper concourses retain a view of the lower concourses giving the arena an open and airy feel. Inside the seating bowl, fans are immediately greeted with the massive, crystal clear video board and the sheer volume of banners hanging from the rafters. Piston greats Chauncey Billups, Chuck Daly, Ben Wallace, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Isiah Thomas, Vinnie Johnson, Bob Lanier, Dave Bing, Richard Hamilton, Bill Laimbeer, Bill Davidson and Jack McCloskey are all honored and have banners hanging with the 1989, 1990 and 2004 NBA Championship banners. The arena floor is in a north-south orientation and that perfect picture of the court will come from the east side of the court. The seats in Little Caesars Arena are large and padded with red leather. The Pistons put together a solid show as part of their game day experience. The Pistons do a phenomenal job of using their new LED light technology as part of the show, not the least of which is creating an LED colored ceiling which changes for different events. The Pistons Entertainment Team helps entertain the crowd with the Pistons Dancers performing at breaks and welcoming fans as they enter the arena. The Pistons Drumline plays as part of the pregame intros welcoming the teams and the mascot Hooper makes his way around the arena and flies the Pistons flag at the beginning of the game. Upon exiting the arena at the end of the evening or afternoon, the Pistons Drumline plays in the concourse to hopefully send off the Pistons faithful back to their transportation happy. Pistons PA announcer John Mason is now a local legend with his call, especially his “Deee-Troit Bas-ket-ball” when the Pistons get the ball on a side out. Neighborhood 4 Little Caesars Arena is located north of the Fisher Freeway, I-75, in an area of Detroit that is still undergoing some significant gentrification. Both Comerica Park and Ford Field are on the other side of the highway, well within walking distance, in an area that has been better developed over a significant period of time. The whole area is now being referred to as District Detroit. Technically, the arena is at the south end of the Midtown neighborhood. There are a number of options for fans for both pre and post game fare. Some options include the restaurants that are in Little Caesars Arena as well as Harry’s, Detroit One Coney Island, the Detroit Beer Co, Cheli’s Chili Bar and the infamous Hockeytown Cafe. Little Caesars Arena is located near the Greektown neighborhood, which features the Greektown Casino. Other entertainment options nearby include the Fox Theatre, the Fillmore Detroit and the Detroit Opera House. Other sporting options nearby include the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, which share Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Tigers of MLB who play at Comerica Park and the Detroit Lions of the NFL who play at Ford Field. All are in walking distance. Traditionally, Ford Field hosts the Quick Lane Bowl on December 26th and features NCAA football teams from the Big Ten, ACC and or MAC. The closest NCAA basketball venue is Calihan Hall, which is the home of the Detroit Mercy Titans of the Horizon League. Fans who require accommodations near Little Caesars Arena may want to consider The Inn at 97 Winder, the Hilton Garden Inn or the Greektown Hotel. Fans 3 At one point in time, Detroit Pistons fans were the cream of the crop. Recording over three hundred consecutive sell-outs across the eighties and nineties, The Palace was rocking and a rough place to play as an opponent. Tough economic times throughout Michigan and Detroit would take its toll on the Pistons and attendance began to fall off from the regular 22,000 fans to around 15,000. Unfortunately with the move to Little Caesars Arena the attendance figures have not really improved. Considering that at the time of this review, the Pistons were greatly improved from the previous season, holding down a top four playoff spot and playing in a brand new building, this is definitely a disappointment. Curiously, attendance for Red Wings games are as strong as ever. Access 3 Little Caesars Arena is located immediately north of I-75, the Fisher Freeway, between Highway 10 and I-375. It is immediately north of Downtown Detroit proper, in Midtown. The Fisher Freeway is a sunken highway with a few streets that cross over the highway. The downtown part of Detroit, south of the highway, can get very congested also, especially if there are events at the theatres, Comerica Park or Ford Field. All of this adds to a very congested drive to the arena from the south. There is parking on both sides of the highway, but it can be very pricy. Although, parking is not too difficult to find, there are ads all over the arena to pre-book and pre-pay for parking. There is a lack of private lots outside of the large garages and during a busy day it is very conceivable that fans who have not planned appropriately will have difficulty finding parking. Parking is expensive and will range from $25 to $40 and above. For fans who require public transit, there are buses that travel Woodward Ave as well as light rail, the QLine. Fans can check the QLine and Detroit Department of Transportation websites for fares, maps and schedules. There is also a shuttle bus that heads to the arena from the Greektown Casino. Ticketing windows are best found in the Chevrolet Plaza, which offers a great deal of space. Security and entry into major sports stadiums and arenas is in a constant state of flux. When heading to an event at Little Caesars Arena, it is highly recommended that fans consult the Detroit Pistons and Little Caesars Arena websites to find out the most current security procedures. The concourses in Little Caesars Arena are fairly wide and getting around the arena is not too difficult. The washrooms are adequate for the arena size. Return on Investment 3 As far as compared to other major sports, the NBA remains one of the better bargains. Tickets can be found on the primary market for as little as $14 and can go up to $275. As with other teams and leagues, ticket prices will fluctuate for various dates and visiting teams. For example, the cheapest ticket available for the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors when they come to Little Caesars Arena is $75. Both concession and parking prices are on the expensive side. Fans will find the experience at the Pistons enjoyable, and for the most part feel that they received their monies worth. However, rapidly rising costs across all sports is becoming a significant impediment and should not be discounted when questioning the lower than expected attendance numbers. Extras 4 An extra mark for PA announcer John Mason and his iconic “Deee-Troit Bas-ket-ball” call. An extra mark for the Pistons working with the city and the Detroit Red Wings to bring the Pistons back downtown and contribute to the reinvigoration of downtown Detroit. An extra mark for the use of LED lighting, which Little Caesars Arena uses to perfection. An extra mark for Piston promotions. The game which was reviewed was Star Wars Night and a great time for kids young and old. Final Thoughts Although The Palace of Auburn Hills was a solid home for the Detroit Pistons, the lure of a brand new arena in a new era of Detroit ownership cooperation was too much for the Pistons to pass up. Overall the move to Little Caesars Arena is a positive one for the Pistons and will be a great home for the team for years to come. For those who long for the Palace, fear not, there is much the same at LCA and it is still Deee-troit Bas-ket-ball!

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 GoMart Ballpark 601 Morris St Charleston, WV 25301 Charleston Dirty Birds GoMart Ballpark website Year Opened: 2005 Capacity: 4,500 A Toast to the Dirty Birds   Professional baseball has been played in the city of Charleston since 1910. Numerous franchises in numerous leagues called West Virginia’s capital home before the Charleston Wheelers arrived in town in 1987. Originally a co-op team with a roster made up of players from several franchises, The Wheelers won a South Atlantic League championship in 1990.   The team was rebranded as the Charleston Alley Cats in 1995, but was unable to find a consistent MLB affiliate or even consistent ownership, as the team was sold numerous times. With the construction of Appalachian Power Park in 2005 the team was rebranded as the West Virginia Power. But still, stability eluded the franchise, as the team was dropped from affiliated baseball with the Great Minor League Baseball Reorganization of 2020.   A new ownership group led by Andy Shea, who was also the owner of the Lexington Legends, purchased the team in February 2021. Both teams joined the independent Atlantic League for the 2021 season. In September 2021 the team was rebranded as the Charleston Dirty Birds, a reference to the canary in a coal mine. During their first three seasons in the Atlantic League, the Dirty Birds have qualified for the playoffs once.   Food & Beverage 3    Concession stands are located on either side of the ballpark. The menu here doesn’t stray too far from standard ballpark fare. Fans can get a little taste of West Virginia by purchasing a pepperoni roll, a favorite local snack. On the plus side, prices are very reasonable throughout the facility.   Pepsi products are featured at GoMart Ballpark. For fans who enjoy an adult beverage during the game, local craft beers from Stone Brewing are featured alongside the national brands.   Atmosphere 4   The Dirty Birds put on a typical minor league baseball show, with not a lot going on throughout the game to distract one’s attention from the action on the field. There’s a scoreboard in left-center field that is put to good use with graphics, photos and videos, the sound system is decent, with the typical music and PA adding to the atmosphere. The team’s mascot, a giant canary, roams the concourse interacting with fans.   There’s a kids zone behind home plate where younger fans in attendance can let off some steam, a mini golf course located down the left field line where fans can get in a quick nine holes, and some art work throughout ballpark by local artists that gives the ballpark a little flavor. The first base concourse is meant to evoke memories of Eutaw Street in Baltimore. It’s a nice, small facility in a nice, small town.   This all sounds pretty average so far, so why the above-average score? Three words: The Toast Man. Local politician Rod Blackstone has been taking up residence behind home plate at Charleston professional baseball games since 1992, dating back to the days of the Charleston Wheelers and Watt Powell Park. Blackstone leads the cheers in the sections behind home plate, punctuating visiting team strikeouts by yelling “You Are Toast!” and throwing pieces of toast in the air. How integral to the team is the Toast Man? When GoMart Ballpark was built in 2005, they made sure to include a power outlet and room for Blackstone’s table and toaster.   Neighborhood 2   GoMart Stadium is located in the East End of Charleston, West Virginia’s downtown. The CAMC General Hospital is behind the first base side of the facility and the state capitol building is about two miles away. Despite the ballpark’s downtown location, there’s not a ton of dining or lodging options right near the ballpark. Charleston is a small city of about 50,000 residents, so getting around the area isn’t too difficult if you’re staying in the area.   Capitol Street (ironically located in the opposite direction from the capitol building from the ballpark) is a historic dining and shopping area of the city. It’s located less than a mile from GoMart Ballpark. The Greater Charleston area offers many outdoor activities for fans visiting during baseball season.   Fans 4   The Dirty Birds have ranked in the middle of the Atlantic League attendance rankings since their arrival in the circuit, averaging about 2,500 fans per game in 2023 and 2024. The crowd is pretty typical of most minor league crowds around the country, with a mix of diehard fans, casual fans enjoying an affordable night out, with families and groups scattered throughout the ballpark.   As mentioned before, sitting behind home plate with the Toast Man and the rest of the Dirty Birds’ superfans will give a visiting fan a totally different perspective of the Charleston game day experience. Their presence lifts this score above the average.   Access 5   Interstates 64 and 77 meet and combine in Charleston and run a short distance from GoMart Ballpark. Exit 100 drops visitors off about three blocks from the park, while the onramp to the interstate runs right along the third base side of the facility. Parking is located in a pair of lots right across the street to the ballpark’s entrance. Fans using public transportation can take the 11 or 14 bus to the stop at the corner of Morris and Smith Streets.   The box office and main entrance to GoMart Ballpark are located in the right field corner of the ballpark on Morris Street. After a quick security check, fans will enter a concourse meant to evoke images of Eutaw Street at Camden Yards. The team store and concession stands are built into the buildings that run along this concourse.   The 360-degree concourse that runs along the top of the seating bowl allows for views of the field from most points. Lines to the concession stands and restrooms are not usually an issue here. Seating consists of individual plastic chairs with cupholders. Sections furthest down the foul lines consist of metal bleachers with backs. There are picnic tables and areas for fans to mingle scattered throughout the ballpark. Fans who wish to roam around the facility will find plenty of standing room areas.   Return on Investment 5   Tickets to Dirty Birds games are very affordable, priced at $8 for general admission seats, $10 for box seats and $11 for premium seats in the sections behind home plate. Weekday games are discounted by one dollar. Purchasing your tickets on the day of the game increases the cost by two dollars.   Parking in the lots across the street from the entrance to the ballpark costs $5. With reasonable concessions prices, an evening at GoMart Ballpark is a most affordable entertainment option for central West Virginia sports fans.   Be aware that GoMart Ballpark is a cashless facility. Fans can convert cash into a card at the box office, team store, or fan assistance table.   Extras 2   The Michael C. Paterno Wall of Fame is located on the back side of the press box, honoring some of the more notable players from the area or those who passed through town during their careers. Among the notable names to be found here are Dave Parker, Kent Tekulve, Tommy John and Trevor Hoffman. Of course, the Toast Man is immortalized here as well.   Nods to Charleston’s baseball history can be found all over GoMart Ballpark, from the former team logos painted on the back of the press box to the Charleston Charlies gear sold in the team store.     Final Thoughts   GoMart Ballpark may not be the type of ballpark that makes anyone’s “Best Of” list. But it does many things well. It’s inexpensive, cozy and thanks to The Toast Man and the cast of regulars in Section 107, incredibly entertaining. This ballpark suits the Atlantic League, the city of Charleston and its baseball fans perfectly.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photos by Eric Moreno, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 UFCU Stadium 1100 Aquarena Springs Dr San Marcos, TX 78666 Texas State Bobcats website UFCU Stadium website Year Opened: 1981 Capacity: 28,000 Texas State Bobcats – UFCU Stadium Excitement has reached levels that haven't been seen in San Marcos, Texas, in over a generation – the Texas State Bobcats are experiencing a level of prominence they have not experienced to date as members of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). After a historic 2023-24 season, in which they won a program-high eight wins, as well as won their first bowl game, the Bobcats are riding a wave that fans hope can carry them to even greater postseason glory. After their fantastic campaign last season, investments in the stadium were begun during the 2024 season, including a new multi-year naming rights agreement  and expanding the stadium with a new end zone complex , slated to be completed by 2025. The Bobcats have called their current stadium home since 1981; it was in these early seasons that the team experienced its greatest levels of success, including taking home two Division II national championships (in 1981 and 1982) under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Wacker. The Bobcats are now looking to duplicate some measure of this success with head coach G. J. Kinne – read on to learn what’s got Texas State fans excited in San Marcos.   Food & Beverage   3 The food and beverage options at UFCU Stadium are what I would classify as “fine” – there are plenty of stands where you can get your traditional game day fare (e.g. hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, peanuts, etc.). The alcohol policy at the stadium changed in 2016 to allow the sale of it during games; now you can buy beer (including some from Texas breweries like Karbach, Ziegenbock, and St. Arnold’s) at multiple kiosks and carts throughout the main concourse. In terms of other foods to look out for, you can find a barbecue stand, a Chick-fil-A stand, a Pizza Hut stand, and an empanadas cart. There is also a stand selling fresh-squeezed lemonade and carnival fare such as funnel cake, kettle corn, cotton candy, and candy apples.   Atmosphere   4 The atmosphere at the last game I attended at UFCU Stadium was, quite frankly, electric. For transparency’s sake, this was a rivalry game, with a lot at stake, and the contest was being broadcast nationally on one of the 4-letter network channels. The game had one of the largest crowds in the history of the stadium, and that made the atmosphere even better. For the window-dressing part of this section, UFCU Stadium has several team stores inside for fans to purchase team merchandise. The exterior of the luxury boxes on the home side of the field is also adorned with markers commemorating the team’s successes (i.e. their conference and national championships). The pregame festivities included the performance of the band (more on them in the Extras section), as well as having the school president and his wife, clad in matching Texas State embroidered leather jackets and cowboy hats), lead the team out onto the field while riding a motorcycle – only in college football, only in Texas.   Neighborhood   3 San Marcos is pretty much the picture-perfect realization of a Texas college town. Halfway between San Antonio and Austin, it has grown considerably over the years in terms of population, but it still retains a lot of what made it arguably the Lone Star State’s best college burg. The Bobcats are the only game in town, and the interest in the school shows – especially among the student body in the last few years, as the football team’s fortunes have risen. UFCU Stadium sits right on campus amidst Texas State’s athletics complex ( Bobcat Ballpark  and Strahan Coliseum  are within walking distance), so if you plan your visit right you might be able to catch another Texas State game, depending on the time of the year. In terms of things to do, the absolute main draw to the area is the beautiful San Marcos River . It is a hotbed of swimming, kayaking, tubing (especially tubing), and fishing in the state, as people flock from all around to get a taste of the river when the weather is right. Up until October, visitors to San Marcos looking to take in a game at UFCU Stadium will also be able to get their sample of river life before the temperatures head south. Since this is a college town, most of the dining options near the stadium are going to cater to the student body. However, a couple of highlights to be on the lookout for include Spud Ranch  (gussied-up baked potatoes for the win) and Lucy’s Tacos  (you can’t go wrong with Tex-Mex in this part of the world). There aren’t any lodging destinations (aside from vacation rentals) near the stadium, but there are quite a few within a 10-minute drive of the venue, including Fairfield Inn & Suites Austin & San Marcos  and Motel 6 San Marcos .   Fans   3 While it has not always been the case, especially in recent years, the fans are showing out right now for the Texas State Bobcats. The most recent game I attended – again, a rivalry game, but still – was a virtual sellout. Fans were decked out in their maroon and gold in and around the stadium hours  before the game. They were also exceptionally loud from my vantage point, which added to their home field advantage. However, the one caveat I will put out is that this is virtually uncharted territory for Bobcat fans; things were bleak in terms of fan interest in the not-too-distant past. Keeping this interest in the program, if things should slow down on the field, will be a test they’ll need to take at some point down the road.   Access   3 San Marcos is roughly smackdab in between San Antonio and Austin along Interstate 35 and its endless, ongoing construction projects. The campus is about 35 minutes from downtown Austin and about 45 minutes from the Alamo City’s downtown – if you’re flying in from somewhere, Austin Bergstrom International Airport is 41 minutes away. There isn’t much in the way of public transportation in San Marcos; there are limited bus routes and shuttle buses on campus if you choose not to drive. The only other option is, of course, a rideshare service. Once you get to the stadium, however, parking is plentiful in five full lots open to the public, as well as at numerous businesses nearby that offer their lots for a fee.   Return on Investment   4 Single-game tickets for Bobcats games at UFCU Stadium start at $20 per person, with pre-purchased parking passes starting at $15. Concession prices are also relatively low for FBS/DI football. For the attention that the team is getting these days, this is looking like quite the bargain – I wouldn’t expect these costs to stay this way for much longer if the Bobcats continue this upward trajectory.   Extras   4 Texas State offers up a lot of the pageantry that is unique to college football, and that goes a long way toward making gamedays so special. The festivities start right out of the proverbial gate with the Bobcat Marching Band , aka the “Pride of the Hill Country” – the band performs the school fight song while marching across the field before the game. They also spell out “CATS” and “STATE” as they play “Deep in the Heart of Texas” to the delight of the fans in the stands. The Texas State Cheer  team and their costumed mascot, Boko , also perform throughout the game. In addition, one of the main draws at games is the famous Texas State Strutters . This team, known for their distinctive uniforms, has performed in parades and functions all over the world. The Strutters are a highlight, so plan your halftime trips accordingly.   Final Thoughts I’ve been to quite a few games at the former Bobcat Stadium over the years. However, what Texas State has going on right now at UFCU Stadium is unlike anything I’ve experienced in the past. There is an energy and excitement around athletics – especially the football team – that hasn’t been seen here before. College football fans will find a lot to enjoy about the stadium and the program right now. I think visitors will also find San Marcos a nice place to spend a day. While I wouldn’t put them down as bucket list worthy, the Texas State Bobcats and UFCU Stadium are still worthy of a trip if you have the time. Follow Eric Moreno's Stadium Journey on X @EricMoreno6477 .

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Brown Stadium 400 Elmgrove Ave Providence, RI 02906 Brown Bears football website Brown Stadium website Year Opened: 1925 Capacity: 20,000 Brown Bears Den Football has been played at Brown University since 1878. In the early years of the program, football games were played at Adelaide Park in the Elmwood neighborhood of Providence or on a makeshift field on campus. The squad eventually moved to Andrews Field, a combination football/baseball/track stadium across the street from present-day Brown Stadium. The Bears played there from 1899 to 1925. Brown Stadium is located on Elmgrove Avenue on Providence’s East Side about ¾ of a mile from the school’s other athletic facilities and over a mile from campus. The stadium was financed entirely through subscriptions and built to be expandable to a capacity of 32,000. The planned construction of a larger grandstand on the north side of the facility never occurred, and Brown Stadium’s capacity has remained at 20,000. For the 2021 season a new FieldTurf surface was installed and named for Richard I. Gouse, class of 1968, the field’s primary donor. The Bears have won or shared four Ivy League championships over their long history, most recently in 2008. Perhaps their most noteworthy team played in 1926, when the “Iron Men”, a team that consisted of eleven players who played both ways for two entire games, finished with a 9-0-1 record. In 1914 Brown played in the Rose Bowl, losing to Washington 14-0. Five persons affiliated with Brown football have been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, including John Heisman. Food and Beverage 4 There have been many changes in the concession offerings at Brown Stadium. In addition to the usual stadium fare sold in the stands underneath the concrete grandstand, there are a variety of food trucks ringing Brown Stadium. It’s a welcome improvement from the basic fare offered here for years. Behind the north grandstand fans will find a lineup of food trucks. Among the offerings here are gourmet empanadas, gyros and falafels, chili dogs and Brazilian food. Additional food trucks located in other parts of the stadium sell coffee and hot beverages as well as frozen lemonade. It’s an eclectic mix with something for everyone. Coca-Cola products are featured at Brown Stadium. Fans looking for an adult beverage can check out the Narragansett Beer Garden in the northeast corner of the stadium, where assorted brews from the local favorite are available. Atmosphere 3 Let’s face it. Brown Stadium is way, way bigger than the Brown Bears need it to be. With a capacity of 20,000 and an average attendance of 4,000, There’s usually a ton of empty space that just swallows up any noise or excitement generated by a crowd here. But when you hit it right, a game at Brown Stadium can be a lot of fun. During Stadium Journey’s most recent visit a crowd of 10,000 fans took in a game against Harvard on a beautiful fall afternoon. There was a buzz in the stands not normally seen here. The student body showed up in force and was loud throughout the first half, despite many of them arriving late and leaving early. Unfortunately, this experience is the exception and not the rule at Brown. Brown, like all the other Ivy League schools, try their best to be wacky and irreverent, but their efforts generally fall flat. All the familiar pieces are here, including a pep band that performs throughout the game, a cheerleading squad and a (sometimes) active student section. With rivalries that go back over a century, there’s a fun give-and-take between fans from the opposing sides. During play stoppages field goal contests, t-shirt tosses and even chocolate tosses keep the energy going. Neighborhood 5 Brown Stadium is located over a mile away from the main university campus in the affluent East Side neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The East Side is known for its old-school charm away from the bustle of the downtown area. While there aren’t any restaurants directly adjacent to Brown Stadium, there are several spots nearby worth a look. The East Side is known for its quaint spots and bohemian vibe, and you won’t be disappointed as you explore the area. Hope Street, Thayer Street, Wayland Square and Wickenden Street all boast excellent shops and eateries not far from Brown Stadium. Of course, downtown Providence, known as one of the top mid-sized cities in the country for foodies, is only two miles away at the bottom of College Hill. If looking for sporting options while visiting Providence, you have several options. Brown’s other sports facilities, including Meehan Auditorium , Pizzitola Sports Center and Murray Field are located about ¾ of a mile away near the main campus. The Amica Mutual Pavilion is located downtown, serving as home to the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins and Providence College basketball . Fans 2 There can be a great deal of fluctuation in attendance from game to game depending on who is in town, but over the years the average yearly attendance at Brown football games settles in at about 4,000 fans per game. You can imagine that in a facility the size of Brown Stadium that a smaller crowd can get swallowed up by the size of the place. Likewise, there’s not a significant turnout by the student body for Brown football games. Even when there is a big turnout, as there was during Stadium Journey’s 2022 visit, many of the students arrived late and left early. Most of the fans in attendance are locals who have been coming to the East Side for years. With the Ivy League’s compact footprint, it’s not unusual to see a good turnout from the visiting side. Access 4 Brown Stadium is located in Providence’s East Side neighborhood, about ¾ of a mile from the university’s other athletic facilities and about a mile from campus. Getting to the stadium requires navigating the crooked streets of the East Side no matter from which direction you are coming. The most straightforward way to get to Brown Stadium is to take the Gano Street exit (Exit 3) off of Interstate 195. Detailed directions can be found here . Traffic can slow down on these side streets, but it’s generally pretty simple for fans to navigate the area. For fans utilizing public transportation, RIPTA’s number 40 bus stops right at the stadium on Elmgrove Avenue. There’s a decent sized parking lot adjacent to Brown Stadium where fans are allowed to tailgate, but many fans will forego the $25 price tag and find free parking on the neighborhood streets surrounding the stadium. Spots can usually be found within a few blocks of the facility. Strangely enough, the main entrance at Brown Stadium is not located in the giant grandstand, but on the opposite (visiting) side of the stadium. The majority of the seating at Brown Stadium is contained in the large trapezoid-shaped concrete grandstand on the southwest side of the facility. At its apex there are 72 rows of aluminum bleachers, so there is plenty of room to spread out. Additional seating is located on the northeast side of the field, where a smaller structure consists of more aluminum bleachers. A paved walkway connects the Elmgrove Street entrance with seating areas on both sides of the field. Rest rooms are located underneath both grandstands. They are decidedly small and dated (you don’t see the old-school troughs in many places anymore), but are large enough to handle a typical Brown football crowd. Likewise, lines form at the concession stands at halftime, but are generally not an issue. Return on Investment 4 Tickets to Brown football games are reasonably priced, with all seats priced at $15 for adults and $10 for youth and seniors. Ticket prices are the same whether purchasing reserved seats or general admission. Waiting until game day to buy your tickets will increase the price by five dollars. For visiting fans who wish to tailgate before the game, Lot 88 is located next to the main entrance on Elmgrove Ave. Parking in this lot will cost you $25. For those balking at that price, there is ample free parking on the streets surrounding the stadium. Since Brown doesn’t usually attract huge crowds for football, you should be able to find a spot a short walk from the game. All fans are given a free program upon entrance to Brown Stadium. Concessions are reasonably priced, making Brown an affordable entertainment option for Rhode Island sports fans. Extras 2 Brown Stadium’s unique seating area earns an extra point. You would be hard pressed to find another seating bowl like this trapezoidal structure. Consisting of a lung-splitting 72 rows at its apex (and nary an elevator in sight), this concrete behemoth contains the university seal, several ornate “B” logos and a pair of bear heads on its façade. Brown displays their long and illustrious history throughout Brown Stadium. Banners honoring championship teams, record setting accomplishments and noteworthy players are hung throughout the facility. Final Thoughts Brown Stadium is quickly approaching its 100th season of use. Despite its long history, Brown Stadium just doesn’t seem to get the love that some of the Ivy League’s other facilities get. Perhaps it’s due to Brown’s lack of consistent success on the gridiron, but Brown football seems to be little more than an afterthought, even in Providence. Still, college football fans could do a lot worse than taking in a game in a laid-back atmosphere on a gorgeous fall afternoon in Rhode Island’s capital city. Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.